


Juxtapose

by SherlockDreadsNaught



Category: Hawaii Five-0 (2010)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Claustrophobia, Denial of Feelings, Happy Ending, Implied Mpreg, Language, M/M, Romance, Sad, Second Chances, Sex, mcdanno, trigger - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-26
Updated: 2020-08-26
Packaged: 2021-03-06 06:35:15
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 42,234
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25518892
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SherlockDreadsNaught/pseuds/SherlockDreadsNaught
Summary: Those McGarrett men and their inability to discuss their feelings causes Steve a world of hurt. Or maybe it makes him see what he needs to do!!
Relationships: Steve McGarrett/Danny "Danno" Williams
Comments: 39
Kudos: 133





	1. Realization

**Author's Note:**

> Idea and writing all within 24 hours. This one just had to see the light of day! Hope you enjoy and comment!

Juxtapose

McGarrett men are a different breed. Strong and willful, they know what they want but can’t talk about their feelings. To talk about one’s feelings is to be weak, and if anything, Steve McGarrett is not weak. Not outwardly anyway, because he has one huge weakness: Danny Williams.

If Steve was totally honest with himself, he would admit he’d fallen in love with Detective Williams the instant they drew their guns on each other in the garage of John McGarrett, Steve’s father, while investigating his murder. There he stood, on high alert, yelling right back at Steve that he wasn’t about to lower his gun. In the dim lighting, Steve could make out thick blond hair combed away from the face, a muscular frame, and an errant sunbeam highlighted the steady gaze of blue eyes. In that instant Steve knew two things—this stubborn fellow was destined to be his new crime fighting partner, and he was in love like he’d never been before. 

It was an unwilling and loudly complaining Danny who had indeed gotten himself drafted into being the partner one reckless Steve McGarrett, all with a simple phone call and the proclamation of “now it’s MY crime scene.” Steve wasn’t a policeman, he had no police academy training like Detective Williams, no procedures pounded into his head. Instead, Steve was a Navy SEAL, with intense training and combat experience, and that was his unspoken excuse for the mad car chases, the risky foot races, the jumping from roof to roof, whatever it took.....

Steve jerked wide awake when his alarm sounded. He sat up and scrubbed at his face, reviewing his course of action. Thirty minute swim, breakfast, shower and shave and then the hard part. He glanced at the tux hanging on his bedroom door. There was the reminder of what today was, the day he’d been dreading for months—Danny’s wedding day, the day he and his fiancé Mark Cummings were going to say “I do” to each other and ride off into the sunset together. Happy face, he told himself, just plaster on that happy face you’ve been practicing and you’ll be fine.

The day was a blur. Friends, coworkers, coworkers who were friends, Danny’s family, Mark’s family. His memorized speech as best man, addressed to the happy couple. Happy? They were downright giddy and giggling! Music, dancing, food, more music and more food. A promised dance with Danny, and Steve had no idea what words tumbled from his lips as they took their turn spinning to loud music. But in the end, like Sherlock when John got married, he left the reception early, unnoticed, and quite alone, having left his broken heart at Danny’s dancing feet.

“Uncle Steve! Uncle Steve’s here, Lukie, come see!” Matty, the wise 7-year old, threw open the door and dragged 4-year old Luke away from his blocks so he could scream, first in annoyance and then with glee when he saw who was coming up the walkway. “Uncle Steve, I helped make the pancakes, you’re gonna like them, I already tasted them, they’re really good!”

“Hey guys, wow what a greeting!” Steve scooped both boys up, one perched on either muscular arm as he toed the door shut with his foot. “And I made malesadas just for us to share!”

“No sir, you did not!” Matty pulled the Red Sox hat from Steve’s head and put on his own head, making the blond curls sproing from every opening.

“Ohhh cut me to the quick! I might have made them!” Lukie squealed with delight as Steve bounced them a few times, then set them down. “Ok, ok, I got them at Lainie’s, I confess! Good work, Detective Mattie!”

Danny peaked around the corner, a big grin spreading across his face. “My hero! I was so hoping someone would stop there! Breakfast is almost ready, get your butt to the table, Uncle Steve! Boys, wash hands, sit on either side of him. Now!”

Steve looked around, taking in all the cute, homey touches Danny had used to make the house his and his family’s home. “Where’s Mark?”

“Ugh... milk and juice run! We need a direct pipeline I swear.”

“Good, I need to talk to you alone anyway.” Steve leaned in the doorway, jamming his hands into his jeans pockets. “I have decided to re-up, 2, maybe 3 years.”

Danny stared at him uncomprehendingly. “Re-Up? What are you talking about?”

“I’m re-enlisting. I want you to take over 5-O.”

“Whoa, whoa! Back up! What the hell are you going on about? Re-enlisting?? ME take over?? Steve, no way...”

“Look, Danny, I have the experience they need. I’ve been talking with some of the higher ups. A brief boot camp of sorts, then I’ll be one of the SEAL trainers...”

“You’re going back over there, aren’t you? You’re going back into battle, aren’t you?? “ As the pitch of his voice went up, Danny began poking and then pushing at Steve’s chest. “What the hell is the matter with you? You’ve served this country and given enough blood, sweat, and tears!” By now Lukie was ready to cry, and Matty looked uncertain about how he should react. “I think you are making a huge mistake, Steven McGarrett, that’s my own not so humble opinion, but your damned mind is made up, isn’t it?” When Steve nodded, and before he could draw in a breath to speak, Danny raised a hand and shook his head. “No, just no. I think you need to leave. Now.”

The cargo plane, Steve’s ride home, came to a jarring stop, and he hoisted himself up using his crutches. His injured left leg throbbed as he attempted to put some weight on it. Silent curses ran through his mind as he inhaled sharply. Because he’d been so tired, he had ignored the doctor’s advice to get up every half hour to keep his leg more mobile, now he was paying the price. He grabbed his duffel bag and slung it over a shoulder, sighing at the prospect of having to find someone willing to give him a ride home. Maybe his new rank of Captain would help him in that situation, because all he could think of was getting back to the McGarrett homestead and relaxing.

He was no more than a few steps into the terminal when a familiar voice assailed his ears. “Commander McGarrett, your ride awaits you!”

In the next instant, he was being embraced by three blond males of various sizes. “Danny? How did you know...”

“That some half gimpy Navy SEAL needed a ride? Today? Please. 5-O has its sources!”

They yakked the entire way home and through dinner. Steve modestly admitted to his new rank, Danny regaled him with the latest 5-O accomplishments. Once the two boys were in bed, Danny and Steve took beers out to the back patio.

“So... is it any of my business, Danno? Mark is very obviously not here tonight.”

Danny sat quietly for a long minute, then chuckled. “Some Detective I am. The sonuvabitch was cheating on me. Had been since before you left, can you imagine that?? I had my suspicions but...I......just....”

“Yeah I get it—you didn’t want to think the father of your children would do that.” Steve swigged some beer, then peered at the bottle. “When you offered to keep this place up and occupied, I knew something was wrong. Other than you hadn’t spoken to me in.....”

What the hell was that noise? It was shrill, demanding, nonstop! Holy shit, his alarm was dragging him out of sleep and out of one helluva dream! Steve popped up, flipped off the alarm and checked the time and the date, and looked around his room. No tux on the door, no scribbled agenda for his morning routine. It was Friday morning, he could swim, have breakfast, and head in to headquarters. He had one mission for the day—he had to talk to Danny, his Danny, no one else’s!

“Hey Danno, got a minute?” Steve popped open his office door and motioned to Danny, who was balancing a tea and a couple of bags.

“Sure thing. Hey, I got some of those fresh, greasy fried things. Malewhatsits.”

Taking an offered bag, Steve pulled out a still warm malasada and took a huge bite as he waved for Danny to have a seat. “Ok listen... gawd, these are so good!”

“Ok just gobble, then talk! Don’t they teach you SEALS any manners?”

A boyish grin crossed Steve’s face as he chewed and washed it down with coffee. “Ok happy now? Good. I have something I want you to do.”

“A case? A mission? Paperwork?”

“Call Mark Cummings and break your date tonight.”

Danny blinked at him a few times. “Why would I do that? I like Mark, I want to...”

“Tell him you got a better offer.”

“Oh yeah? From whom exactly?”

“From me. Tell him Steve McGarrett is in love with you and isn’t going to lose you. Not to him, not to anybody!”


	2. Revelation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After Steve’s shocking declaration, how does Danny react? Is this going to be good or bad?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My bestie (jawnslulluby21) and I decided to tag team this one. I’m in Steve’s head and she’s in Danny’s. Hope you like it!

Danny blinked and stopped chewing. Had he heard right? His partner and the man who could not elude danger and the trappings that went with it had just confessed his love for... for Danny himself?

Steve was clearing his throat and began to pace in the area behind his desk.  
“Yeah I uh you can just you know break that date because we—you and me” he indicated with a pointy finger, “are gonna do steaks on the grill and talk.” 

This was not happening. After 2 years of being hopelessly attracted to this tall lean Navy SEAL and now what was Danny hearing? He swallowed hard, the pastry like a dough ball tumbling down his esophagus.

“I uh I could cancel I guess.” Danny shrugged. If thoughts were like people then his were the daily commuters on the Penn Station line to Manhattan. He looked down at his cup of tea that he balanced against the arm of the chair where he sat. 

“Or instead of steaks we could uh do chicken or get carry out! I know you said I am always deciding for you and I don’t want to do that.... “ Steve’s voice trailed off but his face held an expression like a child who was pleading for cookies. “Danny?”

Danny looked up, reverie broken by Steve saying his name.  
“Yeah?”

“Do you want uh steak or ...?”

“No no steak’s good yeah that’s fine.” Danny stood and started for the door then turned around. He wanted... no he NEEDED to hear Steve say what he’d said before. “Uh I’ll cancel tonight but uh I just would love for you to uh you know” Danny’s hands moved through the air making little circles, “say what you said. Before.” He cleared his throat and waited, one hand on the doork handle.

Steve came around the desk and stood in front of Danny. His blue green eyes were wide and pleading. Danny smelled Steve’s cologne, and the unique masculine scent that was Steve. Danny thought dangerously that he could imagine that scent draped all over him. But Steve’s hands on Danny’s shoulders made for those thoughts to have a quick exit and suddenly Danny met that gaze and tried to prevent himself from falling into the whirling vortex that suddenly appeared. 

“I love you. And have for a long time.”

Danny nodded. He felt the pang of tears in his eyes and looked away from Steve’s intense stare. He couldn’t cry here, not at work, not with Chin and Kono just steps behind him. 

“Let me go call Mark,” Danny said, his voice a bit huskier than normal. He ducked out of and away from those damn big hands of Steve’s and semi stumbled out into the bullpen before he regained his senses and meandered to his own office. God, he had fallen apart in front of Steve. He needed to get a hold on his emotions!! 

He’d call Marc and then he was going to try to get some paperwork done. But all he could see were those deep set eyes and all he could hear was ‘I love you.’

h50h50h50h50h50h50h50h50h50h50

Danny worked on writing up an incident report from last week. The team had been called when an early morning jogger found a partially dismembered body in the brush beside the running trail. Max had done a fine job on the autopsy proving that the COD was strangulation with a ligature made of horsehair. When Kono had run the victim’s fingerprints, she had reported that the dead man was Neal Claussen, a well known psychiatrist who had weighed in on the OJ murder trial and Bill Cosby rape case. He was best known for his popular, or unpopular as it were, theory that women gave off signals that MADE men act violently towards them.

Danny thought the victim was a real putz but nobody deserved to be choked then half sawed up and dumped in vegetation. He had had a hard time looking at the body though it didn’t ever seem to bother Max, their ME. Max went about his autopsy with his own quirky professionalism. Danny recalled how Steve had looked on dispassionately but then again Steve had served in Afghanistan so he was probably used to chopped up bodies.

Their investigation had led them to a spurned lover, one such Suzanne Moore who was the last person to see Claussen alive. And interestingly enough, she was also an artist working with all kinds of textures and materials including horsehair. What neither Steve or Danny saw coming was her viciousness at them, at being discovered, at being asked questions. She and her mousy looking assistant, One named Heidi Gruut, had gone on the offensive, throwing a bowl of hot wax that had narrowly missed Steve’s head while Danny was the victim of a well aimed jar of pigment. Thankfully he had moved aside just seconds before so the container had bounced off his bicep. From there it was a footchase through the art gallery and surroundings until Steve had tackled Groot and Danny had managed to corner Suzanne, his gun drawn and aimed. 

Danny shook his head remembering how both women looked so bitter and angry when HPD was reading their Rights. People were crazy when they were in love, he supposed. Lord knows he knew that feeling.

Finishing up with the report, Danny sighed and scrubbed his hands across his face. He allowed himself to think about what might happen later, on the beach, while the steaks grilled. Would Steve try to kiss or hug? Would this attraction that Danny had felt since the first encounter in the garage of Steve’s Dad’s house, now Steve’s house, lead them to someplace?

Danny had had a few experiences in college. He and Chris Jackson, a crew team member, had met at a frat party and had done some drunken kissing and fumbling, each one acting in the morning like nothing had happened. Then there was the big dark haired waiter, Mason, who had captured Danny’s lips and attention in the alley outside of TGIF’s in Hoboken. But other than that, Danny had started dating Rachel and it had been a menu of heterosexual since then. 

Wondering about Steve, Danny tried to conjure up the image of his tall lean partner kissing another SEAL member. Steve had spoken about Freddie a few times but Danny had never touched that subject mainly because Steve always shut down any conversation about Freddie with a stony look. And until recently the DADT regime had been in effect. Danny wondered if now since all of the sanctions were relaxed, that Steve himself would be and was more relaxed. The very fact that Steve had told Danny he ‘loved him’ was big proof that Steve had embraced his emotions.

A knock on his door startled Danny out of his reverie. He looked up to find Steve standing by his desk. In one hand Steve held a sheaf of folders which he proceeded to lay down on one corner of Danny’s desk and in the other he dangled his own truck keys.

“Ready to go, Danno?”

Danny grinned because Steve was smiling that enigmatic smile he rarely showed anyone. Danny always felt privileged when he was a recipient.

“Yep. I see you are returning my past requisition forms.” Danny got up and patted the paper’s Steve had laid on the desk. “A little late but hey at least I never asked for a grenade.”

“You’re never gonna let that rest, are ya Danny?” Steve answered though there was no bite in his words.

“I don’t believe in blowing doors open with grenades or dangling perps off rooftops, Babe.” Danny shrugged following his partner out to the hallway. 

“Never gonna forget that either,” Steve mumbled but his eyes were crinkling at the edges indicating his amusement. Danny scampered to keep up with Steve’s long legged stride as they reached the lift. “So I’m gonna pick up the steaks,” he continued.

“I’ll get the beer.” Danny followed Steve into the lift and waited while they descended to the lobby. 

“Sounds good, man. See ya later then.”

H50h50h50h50h50h50h50h50h50h50

Danny pulled into Steve’s driveway and parked his Camaro next to Steve’s truck. As he reached for the 6 pack of Longboards nestled in the passenger seat he caught sight of himself in the rear view mirror. He’d chosen to wear a blue tee shirt and a pair of cut off jeans. He’d taken a shower and re-styled his hair so it was extra bouncy. The relentless sun in Hawaii had blessed him with lighter blonde streaks in his hair and he’d styled back those strands to blend in with his darker hair.  
Danny approached the front door, mouth dry and heart hammering. Normally he’d be cool and calm because this was not the first time he’d been at Steve’s for steaks and beer. But that was before the handsome Navy SEAL had uttered those three words. Danny wondered what tonight would bring.

“Hey Steve?”

“Back here! I heard ya pull in so I slapped the steaks on!” 

Danny grabbed a couple beers and put the rest in the fridge then sauntered out to the lanai. Steve was just standing back from the grill and the aroma of seasoned steak wafted in the air. Danny grinned at the sight of his friend now clad in board shorts and a blue v neck tee. Danny handed Steve a beer and after they opened their beers, they clinked them together in a silent toast. 

“Oh Hey was Mark upset with you canceling?” Steve said after swallowing.

“Didn’t seem to be.” Danny absently scratched his tummy. “I told him something had come up.”

“Well,” Steve said after an awkward pause, “this is a better offer. With me. You know?”

“Yeah?” Danny eyed Steve who suddenly decided to busy himself with the steaks. 

“What don’t you think this is a better offer, Danny? Steaks, beer, ocean—“

—“ocean doesn’t count.”

“Well you know ...” Steve looked back at Danny and in the fading light his eyes were glittery. “Company counts for something too.”

Danny grinned. “Don’t push it, Babe.” They were quiet as the steaks finished and Steve placed them onto a platter to bring them over to the picnic table. Danny slid onto a bench at the picnic table and Steve took up a seat opposite him and they dug into the meat. Steve also had a container of potato salad for their dinner and both men launched into that reducing it to empty between the 2 of them.

“That was... amazing!” Danny dabbed at his lips with a napkin. 

“I should open a steakhouse,” Steve grinned wolfishly.  
“Yeah all steaks done by grenade fire.,” Danny joked. He took a long pull on his beer appreciating the way it tasted after the salty but satisfying dinner.  
“Never gonna let that go are you, Danno.”  
“Nope.” Danny got up and took their plates and silver into the kitchen and got them 2 more beers. When he returned, he saw Steve had moved out into their chairs on the beach. He slid the screen shut and toed off his Chucks and followed Steve out to the familiar perch.

“Danny do you know why the ocean is like a bowl of tears?” Steve asked quietly. Danny opened their beers and they clinked necks but said nothing more as Danny thought of an answer.

“I... I don’t know. Want to tell me?” Danny leaned back in his old Adirondack chair. The wooden planks felt good on his back. 

“The ocean is like a bowl of tears because it’s salty, deep and endless.” 

Danny frowned and listened to the quiet hurt in Steve’s voice. Obviously, his partner was feeling what? Melancholy? Sad? Detached? And what should or could he say.

“I remember my Dad saying that two days before he sent us away, me and Mary, and I didn’t see him much after that. Only phone calls. An occasional visit. A drop in. I was always gone with the SEALs and he was always a Cop.” Steve raised the beer to his mouth and Danny heard the liquid slosh around. “This life... it only gives us so much. The rest we have to earn.”

“Steve.” Danny didn’t trust himself to go on. He’d felt the welling in his eyes and the familiar swell in his throat. He put his bottle down on the table and walked over to Steve. His partner was sitting up away from the back of the chair, back stiff, and looking out at the water. “Steven.” Danny reached out and touched Steve’s shoulder. He saw Steve turn and look and then look back at Danny. 

It was as if a dam had broken. Instinctively, Danny knelt on the chair with his legs spread around Steve’s, and pulled The taller man to his chest. There was a strangled cry and suddenly Steve was holding on to Danny’s t shirt, fisting it with anxious hands and pushing his head against Danny. The tears were coming fast and furious and all Danny could do was to make little coos of sympathy and rock Steve back and forth. His own heart was breaking for Steve. He had never seen him like this and the raw emotion he was sharing made Danny just want to instinctively protect him and never let him go.

“Danny... I had this dream... lost you-“ Steve’s voice was muffled against the t shirt.

“Shhhhhhh. You’re not gonna lose me, Babe. I’m right here. Right here with you.” Danny peppered little kisses on Steve’s neck and shoulder and tightened his arms.

“You got married. And had kids. I lost you... like my Dad... and Doris...”

“Listen, McGarrett,” Danny said sternly, “I’m not leaving you. Not marrying anyone. That didn’t go so well for me remember? We’re partners. I’m right here.”

Steve relaxed and his tears reduced to a sniffle. Slowly he pulled away, and Danny started stroking Steve’s dark short hair. Their eyes met and Danny was damned if he was going to break the gaze first. The raw emotion that Steve had shown was disappearing. 

“You’re ok.” Danny kissed Steve’s cheeks, tasting the saline and the sorrow. 

“Please don’t... don’t ever... go.” Steve sighed and rubbed his face against Danny’s soft tee shirt.

“You goof,” Danny whispered. “Had I known you would be crying a river I would have built a bridge so-“  
“-you could get over it!” They said in unison.

Danny started to laugh and Steve shook his head.  
“Fuck. I’m acting like a little girl.”

“I think that calls for another beer.” Danny began to slide away off the chair but Steve caught him gently holding the smaller man by his elbows. 

“Will you stay? Tonight?” Steve’s voice sounded desperate.

“Yeah Babe no worries. Now I’ll be right back.” Danny walked back to the house with their empty bottles. His thoughts were a whirlwind. He’d never seen Steve break down like that and he wondered what exactly had caused it. Steve had said he had a dream. What had he dreamed? Whatever it was had sent Steve over the edge.

He grabbed the last 2 bottles and shut the fridge door only to jump as he saw Steve standing there.  
“Hey.” Danny held out the beer but Steve took the bottles from him and set them on the table. Then he reached out and took Danny’s hand in his, in one one of those big scarred and calloused hands that felt rough from guns and militia yet could hold Danny’s hand so delicately, and pulled Danny gently towards the living room to the staircase. 

Still holding Danny’s hand, Steve led him up to the bedroom.


	3. Bliss

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Well.....they did sleep. They also kissed...and more! The heat is on!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 3 also penned by jawnslulluby21! Just sit back and enjoy!

They slept.

After Steve had pulled Danny up the stairs, holding Danny’s surprisingly delicate wrist with long strong fingers as they ascended, Steve led them into his bedroom. Danny met Steve’s gaze with a steady one of his own, their faces not revealing the many miles and minutes that each had endured to get exactly at this one place. Now. This time.

Steve started to undress, pulling his tee over his head to reveal those 6 pack abs, the strategic tats, the fuzzy dark haired trail leading down to his pelvis. Danny stared, privy at last to the beauty that was his partner, always seeing Steve undress in the line of duty but never ever like this. This was... ridiculously sexy. And then Steve wet his lips with slight tongue action and that went straight to Danny’s groin. The blonde felt the heat and the tug and how long had it been Goddammit.

Steve untied his shorts and slipped two fingers under the waistband then stepped out of them, his tanned feet leaving them in a pile by the bed. With that, Steve practically parachuted on the bed, stomach down and landing heavily on the sheets which he didn’t bother to pull back. 

“Your turn.” His voice was husky. With need? Danny wasn’t sure but obliged the Seal with a flurry of nearly stripping off his tee and cut offs and, wearing his grey boxer briefs, crawled into bed on his hands and knees to flop beside Steve.“Come ‘ere.” Not a command but a gentle order. Danny moved into Steve’s strong arms, and nestled his head against Steve’s chest, hair tickling his nose pleasantly. Steve smelled of grill and sand and soap. 

Danny was aware that Steve was cording his strong fingers through Danny’s hair and instead of protesting that his coif was being molested, Danny leaned into the touch and shut his eyes. God, could he get any happier? Steve was murmuring but Danny was drifting. He was warm and comfortable and safe. He let sleep take him away on a chariot and Steve held the reins.

A noise from somewhere brought Danny to the surface again. What was that? Danny sat up, regretfully alone in an empty bed. Another low whistle and this time Danny scrambled off the bed and scrubbed at his eyes as he lifted the curtain to look outside. 

Steve was playing with a dog, a large German Shepherd mixed with something else, maybe Labrador Danny wasn’t sure. But the dog was very glad to fetch the stick when Steve threw it, and then when Steve whistled,the dog would run back with the stick and drop it at Steve’s feet. Danny watched as a smile tugged the corners of his mouth. Steve had a soft side and Danny loved it when it peeked through in moments like this.

Danny used the bathroom and washed his face then pulled on his cutoffs and rummaged for a t shirt in Steve’s pile of clean laundry. He found a grey one with NAVY written on it in block letters so he shrugged it on and headed downstairs.

Steve had made coffee so Danny gratefully poured himself a cup, added the milk and  
Sugar, gave it a stir then slipped out to the lanai with his liquid pick me up. Steve didn’t know Danny was there. He was too intent on playing with the dog to actually check for an audience. And it was exactly this that Danny loved so much—the brightness, the unabashed joy and happiness Steve wore on his face like a mask. These times were few and far between and Danny cherished these moments. His Steve playing like a puppy himself while the world turned on its’ ugly axis and the bad people did their worst to one another. It wasn’t exactly like Danny could prevent the worst from happening but for just this minute, All was ok.  
Steve looked up from playing fetch with the dog and grinned, white teeth against his tanned skin and Danny felt his breath hitch a bit. Beautiful beautiful man. 

“Hey Danny! Come play with us!” Steve shouted getting the stick away from a devoutly pulling Doggo and giving the worried looking stick remnant a throw into the foamy waves.  
Danny waved a hand and shielded his eyes with a hand on his forehead.  
“No Babe, I’m gonna drink my coffee and sit up here!” Danny perched comfortably on the picnic bench sitting so he could watch Steve, his cup sitting on the bench beside his thigh.  
“Suit yourself!” Steve yelled and abruptly turned and ran into the water, a delighted dog at his heels. It was intoxicating watching his tall partner just having fun. Danny liked it. He liked it very much.

A half hour later, Steve was practically sitting on Danny’s lap as he toweled off. His skin gleamed in the filtered sunlight through the clouds dotting the sky. Danny was tolerating Steve’s overzealous movements, designed to get Danny’s attention.

“Watch out, you Goof, or there goes my coffee.” Danny moved his cup away from Steve’s flailing arms. 

“Do I get points for brewing it?” Steve asked.

“You turned on the button. No. No points.” Danny sipped the strong liquid.

“That’s hardly fair.” But there was no grumbling in his tone, just a lilt of teasing and a smile that almost reached his eyes.

The dog padded up on the patio and Danny indicated it with a pointy finger. “Whose?”

“Neighbour’s. I’ll walk him over when I put on my slippahs.” Steve threw the towel over the arm of the chaise lounge and toggled into his flip flops. “I’ll be back.” He made kissy noises to the dog who cocked his head and then ran after Steve who had taken off in a gallop towards the hedge that divided his house from the next. Danny stood and rearranged the towel on the small clothesline strung next to the hammock and then grabbed his now empty cup to retreat into the kitchen.

He opened the fridge and stared at what offerings there were for lunch then pursued the countertops. There were ripe tomatoes in a basket and some red peppers beside them. He decided quickly on a pasta with simple sauce and as the olive oil heated, he chopped the vegetables up then started to sauté them.

“Oh my God, Danny, that smells amazing!”  
Steve was suddenly behind him (damn those mad ninja skills that allowed him to approach a target without making noise) and had strong arms wrapped around Danny’s waist and an insistent mouth nibbling at Danny’s ear.

“Stop that!” Danny said with mock anger but the affection in his voice was so evident that Steve upped the ante by running his hands down the front of Danny’s tee, fingers finding hardening nipples and staying a big too long over them. “I mean it! Stop! We gotta eat!!” Danny elbowed Steve away and reached for the pasta pot. “Get the noodles please, Octopus.”

“I’m always some kind of animal,” Steve mocked, “or a caveman.”

“Well act like it and the shoe fits.” Danny frowned as he concentrated on stirring the sauce, the aromas of the spices he had added making his mouth water. 

“Mmmmmm I can’t help it. You drive me crazy.” Steve bit hard on the area between Danny’s shoulder and neck and Danny gasped, electric heat going through his body to settle in his groin. Damn Steve and his seduction techniques.

“Let me do this, Steven.” Danny shrugged off the hands and arms and Steve acquiesced moving to get the pasta plates out and silver. 

They ate in companionable silence, a new leaf overturned, an unspoken expectant in the air around them. Danny wondered why it had taken them 2 years to get here to this place of origin, but he was grateful nonetheless. To have Steve give in to his emotions and break down in pieces last night was a gift and Danny wasn’t going to reject it. He had been hurdling towards the end game for so long that he was exhausted but every time he looked at Steve, at those sleepy sexy hazel blue eyes and those sensual lips, Danny felt a surge of something almost tangible. He wanted to reach and touch and pet and soothe.

Steve was grinning at him as though Danny had told the funniest story in the world and Danny ducked his head down to finish his pasta. He felt rather than saw Steve come over to his side of the table and stand beside him. Of course there was the hand again and Danny had no recourse but to take it and let those impossibly long fingers entwine with his own shorter smaller ones. As if in a dream he allowed himself to be pulled up and led to the living room where he sat beside Steve on the couch and allowed himself to be rearranged so he was sitting on Steve’s lap, legs open and on either side of Steve and arms around Steve’s neck.

They kissed. 

There were long sloppy wet ones that had them just saturating each others’ mouths then there were the hard fierce demanding ones that pressed their tongues together and made their teeth clink. Steve was a master kisser Danny thought frantically. The absolute feel of those lips wanting every inch of Danny’s mouth was exquisite. Never had anyone even come close to taking his breath away until they were both panting into each others’ mouths. And with the kissing the slow smoldering rock of their bodies as they pressed and sighed and ached to get closer and felt the rhythm overwhelm them. Danny was achingly hard under his cut offs and leaking pre come against the material and he could feel Steve’s erection poking through his board shorts. With one hand still wrapped around Steve’s neck and their lips kissing and seeking heat, Danny reached down between themselves and pushed down Steve’s shorts until his cock sprang free.

Oh God what an instrument of pleasure! Danny could see the colour of dusky rose and the veins running down to almost the wet tip. With seeking fingers, Danny rubbed the length eliciting a gasp from Steve who broke the kiss and threw his head back. 

Spurred on by Steve’s reaction, Danny wrapped his hand around Steve’s hard cock and used the silky pre come as a lube, sliding up and down the length of the shaft and lightly touching the slit. Steve was jerking up now, his hips raising while his desire ratcheted, and he was moaning. Danny gave one last stroke and squeezed the head lightly. Steve came in ropey strands that drenched Danny’s hand and Steve’s stomach while Danny kept fingering the still turgid shaft.

“Danny.” Steve hissed and pushed Danny’s hand away then toppled Danny over on to the couch and settled between Danny’s spread legs, full body weight on Danny causing the smaller man to gasp. “Your turn babe.”

And it was. It was hot and messy and took Danny apart at his very seams. Between the kisses and the now naked from the waist down flesh explorations that long fingers claimed and touched, Danny was panting and calling out Steve’s name in a rhythm that matched Steve’s downward thrusts. When Danny’s orgasm hit, it damn near made him faint, with Steve holding Danny’s pistoning cock and biting his collarbone with purpose.

“God, Steve, no marks...” Danny moaned breathily. 

“Round 2.” And sure enough, Steve was hard and thrusting as Danny felt Steve’s hands pushing his thighs up and open, his ass exposed. Aided by the cum between them, Steve’s cock slid quickly and easily between Danny’s legs, the length and width of his organ brushing Danny’s balls and underside of Danny’s spent cock. 

Danny knew Steve wanted more but he wasn’t ready to take that step. Not now. Danny tried to reach between them to touch Steve but Steve impatiently pulled Danny’s hand away and went back to sliding his dick in faster rhythm now, nearing his climax. Capturing Danny’s mouth again with his own mouth they kissed messily as Danny just hung on and reveled in the feel, the absolute power that Steve was giving him until Steve gasped out Danny’s name and wetness flooded Danny’s ass cheeks. 

Steve lay on Danny panting and mewling, kissing Danny’s chest and neck and face and peppering light kisses on Danny’s lips. They had turned a corner with no looking back now and Danny hoped that this would continue until neither of them ever had any doubts or fears that they were not loved.

Steve grabbed at Danny’s tee shirt and made an effort to clean them up then threw it on the floor. He was reluctant to move off Danny, off his prize that he had claimed. Danny was however wiggling underneath him and pushing gently with his hands against Steve’s muscular shoulders. As soon as Steve left him to move over on the couch, Danny felt exposed and suddenly quite cold. He shivered as he rose up to sit beside Steve, wondering where his cut offs had disappeared to and covering his naked crotch with his hands.

Steve grabbed the blanket off the back of the couch and wrapped Danny up in it then pulled the blonde to him, sitting him partially on his lap. There were more kisses. Slow and languid. Soft and exploratory.

Steve tugged at the long strands of Danny’s hair now falling to frame his face instead of combed neatly back. And Danny ran his hands up and down the exquisitely chiseled chest and abs that made up Steve McGarrett, lingering on the hard nipples and the absolute firmness of that taut tummy. Steve was his to explore. And in turn Danny gave Steve himself, his heart and soul that for so long had been Steve’s all along.

Dinner was Chinese take out after both had showered and threw in some laundry from their afternoon of love making. It felt natural being here with Steve, both of them basking in the afterglow of the sex they had shared and reluctant to mention it lest some of the magic disappear. Danny was appreciative of Steve’s easy mood, without any flicker of doubt or fear. They had not repeated the declarations of the night before but Danny didn’t feel any need to and if Steve did ,well he wasn’t showing it so Danny just let it go. 

After dinner, they relaxed against each other on the couch, Steve’s arm around Danny’s shoulder and Danny leaning into Steve. They had done this before but never with this much intimacy and it made it good and it made it fabulous and it made it right. Danny was reminded of a line from a Stevie Nicks song, she that had been played over and over by his older sister Stella. Still the line applied that there really was ‘magic all around’ whenever Steve walked in a room and nothing exemplified it than this— their time their hour their day. 

Steve was seemingly oblivious of the sway he held over Danny but Danny hoped that after last night and today Steve would start to understand and keep himself open because Danny... Danny liked open. Danny loved Steve. And all the nuances that made up his complicated SEAL personality.

“Game is on. Want to watch it?” Steve asked planting a small kiss on Danny’s head.  
“Mmmmm.” Danny could muster only that because he was sleepy and perfectly happy digesting his popcorn and basking in the warmth of Steve.  
“Ok. Game it is.” 

How much of the hockey game Steve watched was unknown to Danny because Steve started to become more aggressive with his kisses, finding Danny’s nose then cheeks then open mouth. The first series of kisses were lazy and unhurried and had no real intent behind them but soon Steve upped the ante and began to kiss Danny with meaning, lips sealing off his breathing and tongue attacking every area of Danny’s mouth. It was an assault and a well done one at that because Danny found himself so aroused that he was whimpering.  
Steve fell to his knees in front of Danny and pulled on Danny’s waistband indicating he wanted the sweatpants off. Danny obediently rose and pushed them down out of the way and suddenly Steve’s lips were around Danny’s hard cock and Danny was lost.

He threw his head back and thrust his hard length into Steve’s mouth and down his throat causing Steve to sputter and pull off. “I’m sorry Babe so sorry—“ Danny stroked Steve’s face and tried to pull Steve up by tugging on Steve’s arms but Steve shrugged him off and went back to licking Danny’s heavy cock, tongue inserting into the slit causing Danny to shudder and moan and then Steve took Danny’s balls tenderly into his mouth sucking each one and then licking a strip up Danny’s perineum.

“Steve Steve Steve Steve oh God Steve...”

Slowly Steve engulfed Danny’s hardness, looking up at Danny with hooded eyes that held so much promise. Danny locked that gaze and sighed then moved his hips up and down as Steve licked and sucked. Danny felt the aching coil of his orgasm in his groin and tried to pull Steve off but there was Steve all long eyelashes and perfect angelic face with his cheeks hollowing in and out as Danny’s cock slid sinfully past his lips and he was there so there and he was done.

Danny sighed and opened his eyes. Steve was up beside him wanting to kiss and Danny opened up for him tasting the tanginess of his own cum and the after effects of popcorn. Another assault on his lips and Danny turned towards Steve with his legs straddling Steve, then grinding down hard against Steve’s still clothed cock. 

“Danny,” Steve moaned and wrapped his hands around Danny’s naked waist, fingers leaving indents that would be bruises the next day but Danny didn’t care. All he heard was Steve’s need and moans so he started to rock back and forth, his open ass directly against Steve’s still clothed cock and it was dirty and messy and oh my God so friggen hot! Steve clutched at Danny’s naked cheeks then slid a finger between them finding Danny’s hole and rubbing his finger against it, feeling the taut ring of the entry. Danny closed his eyes and squirmed down hard against Steve and actually felt the very second that Steve reached orgasm Bc the taut coils of his belly were in motion. Steve pushes up up up until he shuddered and collapsed beneath Danny. 

Danny cradled Steve’s head against himself, stroking the soft dark hair and kissing the top of Steve’s head. How different 24 hours made. Last night he was drying Steve’s tears. Tonight he was taking Steve’s love and giving it back. It was good and better and the best Danny had ever felt and he hoped it was good enough for Steve too. They had not said ‘I love you’ but wasn’t this idyllic day rife with lovemaking just an indication of their attraction to each other. And if Steve ever doubted Danny loved him there would always be this day when they were naked and raw and hopeful. 

Steve was watching Danny now, eyes sleepy and warm, long lashes framing the exquisite colour of his pupils. Danny smiled and rubbed his nose against Steve’s nose then placed a kiss on Steve’s cheek. Long fingers appeared to frame Danny’s face and then Steve came closer to kiss. It was if Steve was a starving man and Danny’s lips were the best buffet dishes in the world. Steve’s tongue explored Danny’s mouth, lazily rolling with Danny’s tongue at times but mostly just taking and claiming. His touch was soft and subtle, earlier desperation gone. Danny drifted kissing and allowing himself to be kissed. 

From being in such a dark place the night before to this was a journey both had taken and neither wanted it to end. 

Danny nuzzled Steve and allowed Steve to wrap him up again in a blanket and pull Danny up so he was practically kneeling on Steve and their heads were directly the same height.  
“I’d rather have 30 minutes of happiness with you than a lifetime of nothing,” Danny whispered.

“30 minutes? That’s one orgasm, Babe.” Steve Met Danny’s gaze with a steady one of his own.  
“Tell me what you’re going to be doing for this lifetime,” Danny said with urgency, now stroking Steve’s face with tender fingers.

“Living. And .... this....” Steve answered. He turned his face so he could kiss Danny’s fingers and then caught Danny’s hands between his own.

“I want... I want...” Danny began but the words failed him. He felt his eyes glisten with heavy unshed tears.

“Shhhhhhh. Let’s just be.” Steve kissed Danny and it was slow and mellow and full of promise.

Danny accepted that. The night was theirs and morning be damned. They’d face whatever it was together.


	4. Meat and Greet

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We have a crime, you know, the usual gut-wrenching kind of crime. 5-O is on the case!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> More from jawnslulluby21, and maybe she should write crime stories!

Monday mornings tended to be nobody’s friend at H50 HQ. Kono was usually droopy and yawning even when she was curled up around her coffee from Goldman’s. Lou was a bit more talkative especially if he had had a good day on the golf course and his kids had done something scholastically awesome. Chin was always Zen, sipping his tea and checking his email while keeping an ear tuned to the mix of music from his Bose system. 

Danny and Steve were usually the last to arrive. They had their morning routine down to a solid 30 minutes: Danny left his apartment to pick up Steve, and once there, sauntered inside to get a cup of coffee which he drank while chatting to Steve, who drank his coffee with its’ special ingredient of a quarter stick of butter. After they drained their cups, Steve would ease behind the wheel of Danny’s Camaro and drive to HQ. Sometimes they chatted and sometimes they listened to the radio, but always they walked in together and ready to get down to whatever Monday threw at them.

Since their weekend, however, there was a closeness between them that was defined by the easy way they walked side by side occasionally bumping some body part. Their banter was also different. Instead of Danny’s acrid sarcasm that hid his anxiety, the Detective was settled and pleasant, telling Steve about the differences in mag wheels. Steve was listening with the small frown line between his eyebrows which told any observer that Steve was into the conversation. 

“So it’s not advisable to put those on your car. Especially since we use it in pursuits.” Steve held the door for Danny who slipped under his arm and in.

“That’s right, Babe. It wouldn’t be good at all.”

“Thanks for doing your homework, Danny.” Steve nodded and headed into his office leaving the blonde to saunter over to his.

“No worries.”

Steve was immersed in a homicide report from the week before when he got a call from Dispatch with the news of a dead body found floating in the Canal. He gathered the team around in the bullpen and they looked up the address then headed out in pairs —Chin with Lou and Danny with Steve. Kono volunteered to stay there and man the computers providing any info they might need. 

Danny chewed on his bottom lip as Steve hit the boulevard and spun towards the Canal where the footbridge crossed it. It was one of his worry tells so Steve, after glancing over to see why his partner was so quiet, put a hand on Danny’s knee. “You ok?”

“Yeah.” Danny sighed and placed his hand gently over Steve’s hand and returned the squeeze then placed Steve’s hand back on to the steering wheel. “just thinking about the body being in the canal and what it’s gonna look like. Like the canal isn’t polluted enough!”

“I hear ya. Good thing we haven’t had breakfast yet!” Steve flicked Danny’s chin then grabbed the wheel again. “Quit biting your lip. You’ll make it bleed.”

Danny huffed but did stop chewing. He stared out the window trying to mentally steel himself to look at a bloated body and all of the effects water did to it. This was his job after all, and he was good at it, dammit. He could absolutely look at a water mutilated corpse! Better think of sweeter things, Danny thought when his stomach churned again. He looked over at Steve and remembered their lazy and loving weekend. It had been nothing short of incredible and Danny had enjoyed every single second. He felt closer to his partner and almost like he could see inside Steve’s soul. 

“Looks like Max is already here,”Steve said pulling the Camaro up close to the ME van. Danny started and settled his mind to the here and now. 

Steve and Danny got out and cut through the various gawkers and HPD patrolmen who had gathered around the scene. There, beside the body, was Max pushing on the white pasty waterlogged chest of the victim. Waterworms wiggled out of the victim’s open mouth right as Danny chose to look and he felt his stomach threaten to expel the coffee he had drank for breakfast. Quickly he looked away but stepped up with Steve, grounding himself just by being close to his tall partner. 

“Whatcha got Max?” Steve said. He also was studiously avoiding looking at the corpse; instead, he aimed his laser focus directly at Max.

“Hello Commander. Detective Williams.” Danny nodded in a return greeting. Max was quirky but brilliant and Danny enjoyed the witty banter they shared sometimes. “Looks like we have a John Doe approximately age 35 to 50. COD unknown as of yet. TOD also unknown. However, it looks like just from the pooling skin around the fingertips that he’s been in the water for over 72 hours. I’ll know more when I get him back and examine him properly.”

Steve bent down and squinted at the victim’s navel. It was pierced, a rather passé practice and certainly not common on a man of this age. The piercing hoop looked new as in shiny and there were red marks around the navel. 

“Max? What do you make of this?” Steve, who had donned gloves prior to kneeling, flicked the ring with his finger.

“Hmmm odd. It appears it was still healing as the skin is not yet congealed around it.”  
“So it was recent?” Steve asked.

“I would say so. Again, once I examine him I’ll have more answers.”  
I  
Steve stood up and removed his gloves, throwing them into a sanibag at the scene.  
“What are you thinking, Steve? You think we should check out the tat and piercing places around here?” Danny asked. Chin and Lou had joined them after one look at the body.  
“We could after Max gives us more info.” Steve stared out at an unknown point, the wrinkle between his eyebrows more pronounced. Suddenly he turned and bent down again beside the body.

“Max. Would I be crazy if I said someone pierced his navel after he was dead?”

“Interesting concept, Commander. I will do my best to figure it out and let you know.”

“I know you will, Max,” Steve muttered, patting the smaller man’s shoulder.

Danny walked around the area while Steve was talking to Max. The footbridge was located in a small rather rundown park. Certainly it was far from being a tourist center but the locals made use of it as a place to hang out. To one side stood rather well used playground equipment and on the other was a dubious contraption that doubled as a skateboard ramp. Danny examined the ramp and saw how the boards were coming apart where they had been hammered. He shook his head and then looked around the playground , that is if a set of broken swings and a shaky looking slide constituted a play area. 

At this geographical point the Canal ran through lower income neighbourhoods and rough and tumble areas. It was best not to get caught in the area after dark unless you lived there.  
“Anything?” Chin was beside him and Danny jumped. 

“Jesus, Chin, warn someone will ya?” Danny bumped him with a shoulder and then spotted something next to the bank. “Hey. What’s that?”

Chin and he walked over to the site of a couple of broken saplings along the banks of the slow moving water. The grassy bank gave way to an obvious slide of someone’s foot and a piece of what looked like orange tarp caught on a low hanging tree branch.

“Steve! Get Forensics over here!” Chin called out. Steve looked up, gave them an ‘ok’ sign with thumb and finger, and barked an order to a Forensics unit. He then walked over to where Danny and Chin were perched and for a second Danny admired that long legged stride on his man. Steve and his long giraffe legs...

“Good find, guys.” Steve looked around for Lou who was talking to a couple of joggers who had initially found the body and then turned his attention back to Danny and Chin.

“You know, this sounds kind of familiar,” Chin began, backing off as Forensics moved in.  
“What do you remember?” Steve asked. Danny was half listening, as he was watching the Forensics guys do their thing. “I seem to recall that when I was with HPD, my second year, we found a body in this very vicinity. And .... it was a male only this time he had an eyebrow piercing. The ME at that time said the piercing was done just prior to the time of death, and death was due to a needle inserted into the medulla of the brain.” Danny looked at Chin at that, his expression half grimace, half interest. 

“Let’s get on that then.” Steve turned back towards where the cars were parked. “Tell Kono about your experience so she can pull that case file. If there’s some crazy out there killing again we have to find him or her before it becomes habit.”

Danny was quiet on the way back to HQ. It was disturbing enough that the body had been in poor condition due to being immersed in the water, but now Chin had recalled a similar unsolved case. Did serial killers skip that much time between their victims?

“I thought this weekend went well.”Danny looked over at Steve who was sneaking glances at Danny while he drove. Steve looked ... hopeful.... for lack of a better word. 

“Yeah. I thought it was....” Danny paused sticking out his bottom lip in thought,”amazing. You know like I never had anything like that.”

“You never... uh... did it with anyone? Like that?” 

Steve’s voice sounded just a touch panicky. Danny patted Steve’s thigh and squeezed Steve’s knee gently. “I had a couple experiences. Nothing that amazing though, and certainly not that involved!” Danny answered. He kept his gaze fixated out the window. The fact that they were even talking about what had gone down over the weekend was a start, Danny thought. Steve was usually so reticent about his emotions, keeping them well hidden or spouting a one liner with double entendre when he felt comfortable enough to do it. So after the breakdown on the beach and the amazing sex over the weekend, were they lovers? Or... Danny sighed and stared out the window not really seeing but just thinking.

“Hey. Hey buddy you ok?” Steve glanced from the road to Danny back to the road again.  
“Yeah I’m good. It’s fine. Let’s see what Kono has for us.” Danny squeezed Steve’s thigh  
quickly and readied himself to delve deep into detective work as Steve pulled in to the parking lot at the Palace.

Danny leaned over the table and kept his eyes on the computer screen before them. It truly was a wonderful piece of technology and not for one minute did any of them take it for granted. Kono had indeed found the old case from Chin’s HPD day’s and they were reviewing it. William Lahuana’s life had certainly ended badly; his body was found almost to the spot where their John Doe had been spotted and indeed the pierced eyebrow was determined to have been done just after death, and not before as Chin had recalled. Although there were some leads— unfortunately no witnesses—those had dried up quickly and the case was relegated to the Cold type variety.

Lahauna had been a good looking guy, Danny thought, looking at an attached photo that the family had provided, and to be killed and left in this manner riled up Danny’s moral compass. Crazy serial killers aside, the person who had done this to a normal law abiding citizen was not mentally right and had totally stepped over the line between good and bad.

“We will know more about our case when Max has his findings,” Steve said. Lou shook his head.

“Maybe we should cross reference killings like this to see if our boy is doing the dirty somewhere else.”

“Good point,” Steve said and Kono nodded.

“On it, boss.” 

They dispersed with that, each going to his or her office except for Danny who stood looking at the file on the past victim. Something about this case really nagged at him. He searched hard through his case memories, eyes focused on the screen and posture stiff as he thought. Piercings... killed by a needle.... 

“You ok?”

Danny jumped when Steve touched his back.“Yeah yeah sorry I’m just... this case is unsettling.”

“For sure it is.” Steve waited a few seconds then put his hand gently on Danny’s elbow and guided him towards Steve’s office. “You have any more ideas on it?”

“Oh I don’t know.” Danny sighed and shrugged. He met Steve’s eyes and felt that gaze unwrap every protective layer that Danny had placed around himself. It was disconcerting and warm and begging for a touch but they were at work and needed to be professional. “I’m just working stuff out.”

Steve frowned a bit but backed off and nodded. “How about lunch? Want me to run to the deli?” Steve changed the subject trying to lighten the mood.

“I’ll go, Babe,” the endearment slipping past his lips easily. “ let me see what everyone wants.”

Half an hour later, Danny was waiting at the lunch counter of Schnarr’s, an authentic NYC deli in the heart of Oahu, fingers lightly drumming on the steel fixture that ran the length of the counter. Frank Sinatra was playing in the background and the smells of brisket and potato salad filled the air. If Danny closed his eyes he could find himself transported back to NYC and the old Carnegie’s. 

More people queued up so he moved down and watched the workers in their all white uniforms carving meats and throwing sandwiches together. One of the young men had a sizzling roast of some kind sitting on the table beside one of the ovens and he was poking it with some kind of flavour injector. Danny watched intently as the long needle like tool plunged into the piece of meat then out again to be dipped into the flavour mix in the bowl beside it. Suddenly an idea hit and he couldn’t wait to get back to the bullpen!

Danny pushed open the glass door, holding on to the shopping bag full of food that he’d purchased for the team. He set it on the one stand alone cabinet and hurried over to the computer. Steve had popped out of his office and was going for the bag but stopped when he saw Danny typing in ‘meat injectors’ and watching the results pop up on the screen.  
“Have we heard from Max?” Danny asked silently reading the descriptions of each kind of commercial infusers. 

“He said he’ll give us the deets at 1. Whatcha doing, buddy?” Steve said as he stood next to Danny.

“Call it a hunch but I think I know what the murder weapon was that ended Lahuana’s life. Maybe if it matches the COD with our body then we might have a lead.” Danny pointed at the screen. “Maybe it was that. Chin said he was poked through the medulla. I don’t know maybe I’m grasping but it could be.” 

“Ok we won’t know anything until Max gives us his report but you know it could be just that, Danny.” Steve nodded.

Danny stood stiffly then. He’d heard that tone of voice before and it usually meant Steve was trying to placate someone. Perhaps Danny was out of line here but it was worth looking into and Steve sounded dismissive ... no... worse than that... like he wasn’t even entertaining Danny’s theory.

“Forget it.” Danny erased the board with a sweep of his hand and ducked out of Steve’s reach, heading for the bag. He had lost his appetite suddenly but he’d paid for lunch so he was going to at least claim his choices. Steve was right behind him.

“Hey Danny, it’s a good theory so don’t get upset. We just won’t know for sure until we hear from Max.” Steve was now holding on to Danny’s shoulders with light hands, the same hands that had held Danny and caressed him in Steve’s bed. Danny took a deep breath and nodded. He was being unreasonable he told himself. Jumping the gun like this was not like him. He prided himself on being a good detective and acting like this was unacceptable! 

“Sorry, Steve.” Danny stood and let his partner squeeze his shoulders then release him.  
“Let’s eat then we will go see Max.”

Max was expecting them and had his facts and figures all in a row. He was not only a good ME, he was also very organized and he prided himself on that very thing. Danny and Steve walked in precisely at 1 pm, the smaller man in the lead, shirt sleeves rolled up as per usual. Steve was wearing his usual uniform of cargo pants and v neck tee. They were an odd pair but there were no better investigators, in Max’s opinion, than Commander McGarrett and Detective Williams. 

“Hello gentlemen. Always good to see you.” 

“Hey Max. What have you got for us?” Steve said, looking down at the figure on the table now covered with a vinyl tarp. 

“Our John Doe, now identified as Brett Wagner, is a 38 year old male with no criminal record.”  
“How’d you ID him then?” Danny asked curiously, steeling himself for when Max raised the tarp-like blanket.

“Through his fingerprints. He had registered with HPD for a job he applied for as school monitor with the O’ahu school district south side. Plus there was a Missing Persons report filed by his wife.”

“Ok we caught a break there. What about the piercing? And cause of death?” Steve pressed on.

Max then removed the covering and Danny stared at the grayish remains of a human being laying on the table. It was all Danny could do to keep his recently consumed lunch down but he pretended to be dispassionate as he listened to Max.

“The piercing was added after death. This man was killed approximately 4 days ago judging from the water damage to the body as well as the presence of parasites,” Max said in a clinical manner. 

Danny inwardly flinched at the parasites thing. He had seen the waterworms though so he had known that the body had probably harboured more than a few of them. 

“Cause of death? A long thin sharp instrument inserted approximately here,” Max showed a tiny ragged edged hole next to the victim’s ear. “Inserted with an upward angle of 20 percent the instrument was quite effective at piercing the medulla and causing life function to stop.”

“Oh man that’s... “ Steve shook his head.

“I understand there was a similar case that Chin investigated. I’m waiting for those reports to compare our case.”

“Excellent.” Steve nodded. “Has this guy’s next of kin been notified?”

“His wife is on her way here,” Max answered. 

“We’ll stick around then,” Steve said, jerking his head towards the small waiting room on the exterior of the glassed in exam rooms in the morgue. “Come on, Danny.”

“One second, Steve.” Danny pulled a folded sheet of paper from his pocket and smoothed it out. Max looked at it curiously. “Max, do you think something like this could make a hole in someone and um pierce the Imedulla?”

“Well, Detective Williams, I’d have to say you are astute in your findings, and yes it is very possible. Of course I’d have to examine the instrument as well as do some measuring but I would gladly do that for you and the investigation.”

“That’s a great call, Danny,” Steve said over Danny’s shoulder. We can get a few different ones for you to examine, Max.” Danny was flooded with warmth for Steve’s support which was now obvious in his tone of voice. 

“No worries, Commander. I can send Julie out to get some sample implements. Then it’s just a matter of measuring.”

“Dr. Bergman?”All 3 of them turned towards the door where a woman of undetermined age stood. She wore a pair of jean capris and a white off the shoulder blouse; her hair was tied back in a ponytail.

“Mrs. Wagner?” Steve guessed. She nodded and Steve ushered her over to some chairs in the waiting room. Danny followed but respectfully at a distance. He didn’t want the woman to be overwhelmed.

If there was one thing Steve could do, it was to be compassionate to a victim’s family and he used all of his skills telling Joann Wagner that her husband had somehow fallen prey to a very disturbed individual. Steve held her hands with his as he broke the news; his eyes were sympathetic and warm.

“Oh my God no! He went out to buy a Lotto ticket! Oh no oh no...” Joann broke down in a fit of tears and hiccups. Steve kept rubbing her hands, and Danny moved to put a reassuring hand on her back until the sobs subsided.

“Can I... can I see him?” She asked in a tremulous voice.

“Absolutely. Just be aware that he was in the water for a few days so he’s not going to be... his best,” Steve added.

“I still want to see him.” 

Joanne rose and took hold of Danny’s arm and the 2 of them walked over to where her husband was lying. Max looked at Danny with raised eyebrows and Danny nodded. Carefully and respectfully Max took the sheet away and Joanne gasped. She would have fallen if not for Danny’s hold on her.

“Oh God Brett.... “ She touched his arm and then withdrew her hand as if it was poison. Danny wanted to tell her that her husband wasn’t there any more, that he was in Heaven or wherever it was that she believed in but he said nothing. 

“Mrs. Wagner,” Steve asked quietly. “Do you have any idea if your husband had any enemies?”

“Oh dear God no. Brett was,.. he was such a nice guy. Mowed other people’s lawns to help them out, taught my nephew how to read, would do just about anything for anyone.” Her voice caught and she touched his arm again only this time her fingers lingered.

“Do you know of anyone who would want him dead?” Danny asked.

“Oh no... not Brett... he had so many friends. We had a great marriage.” Tears began to spill down her face. “Honest to God, he just went out to get a Lotto ticket.”

“That was the last time you saw him?” Steve pursued.

“Yes yes. I tried to report him missing that night and the cops told me I had to wait 24 hours.” She was crying now full tilt. Max handed her some Kleenex and placed his hand over hers. She looked grateful for his tenderness.

“Do you have any friends who work in the restaurant industry?” Danny asked even as Steve threw him a glance.

“Well... my sister Babette. But we haven’t seen her in a few months. Why is that important?” 

“ Can we have a number where we could reach her?” Steve asked. “Or an address?”  
“And also, your husband... he didn’t have any uh piercings did he?” Danny almost scrunched up his face for asking but it was a question that he had to ask.

“Oh no. Brett had a tattoo...” she trailed her fingers to his upper chest where the autopsy Y began. “Right here. Our initials. He got it after we were married.”

Danny and Steve looked at the now faded ink and Danny nodded.“Do you also have an address for Babette?”

Danny and Steve returned to the car without exchanging much conversation. They had Babette’s address and phone number-and Steve entered the street number and name into the GPS, then backed the Camaro out and headed towards the Canal district.

“No way is Joanne a part of this,” Danny said breaking the awkward silence.

“Yeah, there was genuine grief there.” Steve nodded to himself. Steve was once again quiet, then took a deep breath and addressed Danny. “Look. I want to say that I really enjoyed this weekend. It was.... good.” He swallowed like he was taking barium.

“We don’t have to talk about this. That. Whatever. I know you don’t like to put your feelings out there,” Danny said levelly.

“Did you like it... what happened what we did?” 

“Steven.” Danny took a deep breath. An insecure SEAL was not a good time.. “I loved what we did. It was honestly the best I ever had.”

“Yeah? The BEST?” 

Danny rolled his eyes. Leave it to Steve to latch on to that word. “Yes, you schmuck, it was the best. Now we have a crime to investigate.” Danny waved his hand at the GPS. 

“The best huh? Yeah. The best.” And if Steve wore a dopey grin on his face all the way to the address, well then, it was a good look for him. 

Steve went first as was his custom and knocked on the aluminum screen outer door. He waited for a minute then repeated his knocking. He listened intently then straightened up.  
“Someone’s coming,” Steve said. 

Sure enough, a woman who resembled a heavier older Joanne looked them up and down curiously. “Can I help you?” She said acridly.

“Commander McGarrett and Detective Danny Williams. Five O.” Steve flashed his badge. “We would like to ask you a few questions.”

“Look, I paid my parking tickets.”

“Ma’am this has nothing to do with parking tickets,” Steve retorted and Danny could tell his voice held an edge. “We’d like to ask you a few questions about your brother-in-law Brett Wagner.”

“Oh that pussy.” She shrugged then slipped around her door and joined them outside. Danny smelled something as she slipped by him to perch on the railing of her small front porch. Body odor? Camphor? Unwashed clothes? “What did he do? Get arrested for doing a hunger strike for some idiot cause?”

“Ma’am, Wagner is dead. We found his body this morning.” Steve studied her intently but she just smirked and pulled a pack of cigarettes out of her apron pocket.

“Interest you in a smoke?” She asked then shrugged when both Danny and Steve shook their heads no. “Suit yourself.” She lit the cigarette, a hand rolled one without a filter Danny noted, and inhaled then blew out a plume of smoke.

“When was the last time you saw Wagner?” Steve asked.

“Oh golly let me see.... about a month ago. Joanne called me and asked me over for dinner. Course she said I had to go. Cuz I hadn’t seen her in a while.” She inhaled off the cigarette then blew the smoke right at Danny. He flinched and she smiled around the butt of her cigarette.

“Did you get along with your brother-in-law?” Pressed Steve.

“Eh he was ok but certainly nobody I’d marry. Joanne settled. She was scared she’d end up alone or like me.” Babette cackled, showing some unpleasant looking yellow teeth. “But if you’re here to ask me if I hated him enough to kill him well then,” she paused narrowing her eyes at Steve. “You’re barking up the wrong tree, McGruff.”

“I need to know where you were the night of August 4th,” Steve said pinpointing the day that Wagner was killed.

“I was at my job. I got witnesses. Commander.” She sneered as she said his title and Danny had to swallow down the anger that was bubbling to the surface. This woman was horrible. As pleasant as Joann had been, even in her time of grief, her sister was just the opposite!

“Where do you work? Name, phone and address, and names of witnesses who saw you.” Steve thrust out a notepad at her and she took it but not before she dribbled ash on it from her cigarette. 

“Here’s a pen,” Danny mumbled. She turned to look at him with glittery eyes, not unlike that of a rat’s, he thought. 

“Oh little darling you always let big bad cop here speak for you?”

“Just write down the details,” Steve sighed.

“I’m writing, I’m writing.” She took a few minutes then thrust the notebook and pen against Danny’s shirt smudging his blue linen with ash and ink. 

“Thank you.” Danny gritted his teeth and turned to walk away.

“You know, baby bear, Joanne might look and act like a saint but you know the saying... she ain’t!”

“Let’s go,” Steve muttered starting down the steps and ignoring the woman. 

“You check me out, baby bear! But you’d best be looking around at her.”

“Fuck you very much,” Danny murmured getting into the car and only then attacking his shirt with some wet wipes he kept in the car.

“Huh. Baby bear. I kinda like that,” Steve grinned. He needed some levity or he was going to punch the side of the car over his frustration with Babette.

“No no... hey just no. First of all, she called me that. Secondly, it ranks right up there with Boo Boo. No cartoon names.” After a second Danny threw out the wet wipe he’d been using and looked at Steve.

“What?” His partner asked.

“McGruff.” Danny smirked.

“Never mind, Daniel. What does that paper say?”

“Oh yeah,” Danny smoothed our the paper and tried to read her writing. “Oh my God Steve... she works at Plantation Meat Packing Plant.”

“Could it really be that easy?” Steve said. 

“Well, she’d have access to those injectors!” Danny exclaimed getting excited.

“Does she have the name of her supervisor listed?”

“Uhhh yes. Looks like Chick McCord.” Danny squinted at the paper.

“Enter the address to the place and we will go pay Mr. McCord a social call.”


	5. Nice to Finally Meat You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We have a crime, and did I mention....poor Danny!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Jawnslulluby21 wraps up the crime, and then some! Rough language ahead!

Plantation Meat Packing Plant was exactly what anyone thought it would be like. And look like. And smell like. When Danny and Steve got out of the car, their senses were immediately assaulted with the stench of blood and death.

“Whoa now THIS is gonna be disgusting.” Danny snuffled then put his arm up in front of his nose. “Ugh so gross.”

“Now don’t let this deter you from eating my steaks from the grill, Danny,” Steve said as they walked towards the sign pointing to the visitor entrance.

Danny just frowned and followed Steve inside the entryway; there was a small waiting area with a few standard stackable chairs, a fake Ficus and an end table stacked with magazines that had seen better days. Steve stepped up to the window to speak with a secretary.

“Commander Steve McGarrett and Detective Danny Williams of 5 0. We’d like to speak to Chick McCord please.” Steve showed her his badge and she picked up the phone beside her, punched in a number and began to speak to someone on the other end. When she hung up, she waved at the chairs indicating for them to sit down.

“Have a seat. He’ll be with you in a moment.”

Steve muttered a thank you but neither man sat down. Danny could just imagine the germs on the chairs and Steve was probably thinking the same thing. They didn’t have a long wait, however. A door to their right opened and a tall man with ruddy cheeks and greying hair stood just inside. He was dressed all in white including a white apron, and he wore a hair net that kept his hair pulled back. His tools of the trade, however, were obvious with the blood stains smeared all across his apron.

“I’m McCord. You looking for me?”

Steve, bless him, approached first because Danny was deciding if his lunch were really going to stay inside or if it was going to make an unscheduled appearance. 

“As a matter of fact we are. I’d like to ask you a few questions about Babette Prindle. I understand she works here.”

“Yeah Babette yeah yeah.” McCord nodded and pursed his lips. “She in some kind of trouble? Is she getting the boot again for hoarding?”

“Hoarding?” Steve asked.

“Yeah you know like the show... hoarding only it happens in real life too you know. She got busted in the North Hills because her house was in danger of being condemned. Guess she somehow cleaned it up so she could stay. So Is this what you want to speak to me about?”

“Huh. Hoarding.” Danny made a face and shrugged. “Doesn’t surprise me.” He looked at the stain on his shirt.

“No this has nothing to do with her lifestyle. Mr. McCord—“

“—Chick please.”

“Chick,” And Steve pronounced it precisely as if turning it over on his tongue, “was Ms. Prindle at work here the evening of the 4th of this month?”

“4 days ago?” The big man frowned then motioned for them to come back. “We can look at her time card over here. That will tell us what we need to know.”

“Appreciate it,” Steve said as he followed the man through the door and down the hallway. When he looked back, he saw Danny was not following even though Steve pantomimed him to come. Danny shook his head.

“Ok alrighty here let’s take a look...” McCord whipped out a pair of readers and pursued the slots of the wall punch cards until he found the one he wanted. “Babette Prindle Yeah here ya go.” He showed Steve. Sure enough, there were punches for the 4th and it looked like she had worked a double into the 5th. 

“Ok.” Steve sighed. “ do you remember seeing her? I mean I suppose anyone has access to these cards, right?”

“No sir. You have to enter a code to come down the hallway and they change it every week. Otherwise you’d go through the main, like you did. And secretaries aren’t here at night so that door is locked. I can also pull her work file.”

“Would you? That would be helpful thanks.” Steve said and meant it.

“Ok give me a minute here.” McCord approached the secretaries in the adjoining room and asked to use a computer. The woman who had initially talked to Steve offered hers and McCord punched in some numbers and a file appeared. He pressed the PRINT button and waited until the printer spit out the sheet and this he brought back to where Steve was waiting.

“Ok says here she butchered 3 cows and then a pig. Her second shift she worked in the chicken room where she processed 114 chickens which is pretty good. She’s one of our best workers.”

“Ok wow so she seems to be.” Steve nodded his head and looked over the form. “Can I have this?”

“Sure. Don’t see why not.” The big man smiled and shrugged.

“On an aside do you use meat flavour injectors here? Like the long skinny pointy uh things..” Steve’s brow furrowed.

“An injector? Yeah sure we use those with specialized items.”

“Did Babette Prindle work with one?” Steve pressed on.

“She doesn’t. She’s not in that room ever. We got other people to do that. Oh hey, but her brother in law does or did I guess. Heard he got killed.” Chick scratched his head and looked a bit sad.

“Wait you mean Brett Wagner worked here?” Steve asked incredulously.

“Oh here and there on a temporary basis. Last time I saw him it was around 5 months ago, around May. He put in some time in the chicken room injecting butter under the skin. Some people like that.” Chick looked at Steve expectantly. 

“Uh. Well thank you. You’ve been a huge help. I’ll leave you my card in case you think of anything else.”

“Sure. You take care now.” With a wave he was through the door leading to the factory.

“Ok we have some details to work out,” Steve said as he joined Danny in the waiting room. “For one thing, Hogan himself worked here in the specialized injection room.”

“Oh yeah?” Danny said and they hurried out to the car together. “Isn’t that just getting weirder and weirder.”

“You can see Babette was at work which establishes her alibi. However something is bugging me from the conversation we had with her.” Steve pulled the Camaro out into traffic and gunned it towards the intersection.

“Easy, Mario Andretti, easy.” Danny pulled at his safety belt to see if it was secure. Steve ignored him, focusing on the case in his head.

“She was talking about Joanne. And Brett worked here. Why wouldn’t Babette mention that?”

“Because she’s crazy?” Danny shrugged. He didn’t relish a return visit to that woman.

Steve’s phone rang and he pushed the Receive button. “Yeah Chin, what do you have?”

“This is getting interesting. You guys need to get back here.” Chin said cryptically.

“On our way.”

40 minutes and 3 yellow lights later, Steve pulled into HQ. Danny got out feeling like they were no closer to solving this case than they had been a few hours ago. All he could smell was meat and blood and he had a pounding headache. He blamed it on Steve’s driving.

“Let’s see what Chin has for us.” Steve took the steps instead of the elevator but Danny just watched him go. He was in no mood for a marathon even if it was a short sprint so he waited for the elevator and got off at their floor to HQ. He sauntered into the bullpen to find the crew waiting for him. Steve looked at his watch.

That set something off in Danny. He was usually patient but in no way did he appreciate Steve poking fun at him in front of the team. He gritted his teeth and looked towards Chin who was, as usual, totally zen. “Excuse me if I’m LATE,” Danny said in a sarcastic tone.

“The sooner we work this out the sooner we catch that poor bastard’s killer,” Steve spoke up.

“Well excuse me for delaying that by 30 seconds!” Danny yelled.

“Ok, calm down you two, or else someone is going to get spanked—“ Lou began.

“-Danny.” Steve interjected.

“McGarrett, IF you didn’t push his buttons, maybe we’d be done discussing this right now!” Lou countered.

“Alright, alright, lets go over what we know,” Chin said causing a silence to fall over the room.

“Let’s hear it,” Steve said.

“Kono and I have been over and over the past unsolved Canal murder cases and it appears as though Lahuana was not the first such casualty of the....uh....piercing and probing. There were 2 more victims, one found in an alley near the Canal itself and the other in the area of the playground before it became a playground. Each victim was a male, mid 30’s, and each had a piercing done post Mortem. In the one, Chase Sanderson, he had a cartilage piercing done. The second, Molka Rinna, had a....uh....Jacob’s Ladder piercing.”

“What the hell is a Jacob’s Ladder?” Lou asked.

Kono cleared her throat but looked at Chin.

“Uh it’s when someone gets piercings descending or ascending in the uh shaft of the penis.” Chin let that sink in a moment and then pushed on. The looks on his male colleagues faces were truly a sight to behold. He was sure they were cringing. “Each man was killed by the insertion of a pointed tool into the medulla.”

“How long ago did this happen?” Steve asked.

“Both victims were found deceased 5 years ago.” Chin checked his notes.

“So we have some crazy killer who pierces his or her victim after he or she shoves a meat injection tool into the brain.” Danny shook his head. “That’s just crazy.”

“Oh that reminds me, Steve. We heard back from Max. He said the entry wound was just right to fit a meat injector.”

“Forensics follow up anything on the footprint or tarp we found at the site?”

“Yeah unfortunately,” Lou began, “it was the result of a party that some kids had over there. The tarp held beer in the water and when their parents busted them they tried to hoist the tarp up. It ripped. We have witness collaborations on that.”

“Damn.” Steve ran a hand through his hair. 

“Well, we could go see what Joanne has to say about why she didn’t tell us that Brett worked for the meat packing plant.” Danny looked at Steve.

“Nah my gut’s telling me she knows nothing. There’s gotta be something we’re missing.” Steve said dismissively.

Danny looked at Steve with a mixture of annoyance and wonder. This was the second time today that his boss, his lover, his friend had put him down. “Ok, well, when you figure it out, I’ll be in my office looking over the evidence,” Danny said abruptly, turning from the board and walking into his office. His head was just pounding and he reached into his drawer to find a half empty aspirin bottle. He gulped 3 tablets down without water then booted up his computer. Damn Steve McGarrett anyways!

It was nearly 6 and Danny was absolutely miserable. His head just pounded like a marching band had run through it and then reversed direction to repeat. Steve had left to go home with Lou giving him a ride because Danny had said he wasn’t ready to leave. The truth was Danny wasn’t happy with Steve right now and he wasn’t going to go back to Steve’s house and act cute when he sure as hell didn’t feel like it. Besides, Steve had more or less embarrassed him in front of the team, discounting his theory and just not listening to what Danny had to offer.  
Danny sighed and rubbed his head. Geezus, he had a killer of a tension headache! He thought he should stop at the Rite Aid and get something stronger. Hell, maybe it was a brain hemorrhage! 

His phone rang making him jump and he stared at the number. It wasn’t familiar but he answered anyways. “This is Detective Williams,” he said, turning off his computer, getting ready to leave for the night.

“Baby bear? You gotta come see me. I got something you should know. It’s about the case. See you soon.” Click.

Oh Jesus H Christ! It was that crazy hoarder smoking woman! Still, she had called and he was curious. If they stayed outside he should be fine. Debating on calling Steve, he put his gun in its’ holster and shoved his mobile in his pocket. Fuck him. He’d check this lead out on his own!

Steve shoved the microwave dinner into the oven and set the timer for three minutes. He had wanted to invite Danny home so Danny could make his famous spaghetti, but here he was settling for this. The writing on the box promised three times the protein but Steve wasn’t sure if the measly portions of steak and eggs would keep that promise. And whose fault was it ultimately? It wasn’t Danny who had put down any of Steve’s leads or ideas. No, nope, Danny wasn’t like that but dammit Steve himself was and what a shame! He should have turned around and said he was sorry. He should have talked to Danny before he left for home. He should have, could have, would have, fuck! The timer went off and Steve took a taste of the concoction only to pull a face and dump it into the trash can. He was making ‘ick’ sounds out loud and combing his tongue with his fingers.

Well, that did it! Steve grabbed his truck keys and decided to drive back to HQ and apologize because honestly he never meant to hurt his partner. Walking out to get into his Silverado, Steve sent a text to Danny and then threw his phone on the passenger seat. With any luck Danny Williams would be gracing his bed again tonight.

Danny pulled into the driveway of the rundown house. He re-checked his gun to make sure it had ammo, then added another clip on his belt. It was still light out, thank goodness for the fucking Hawaiian times, so at least he wasn’t going in when it was dark. Sighing, Danny got out of the car and was suddenly hit by waves of nausea so extreme that he grabbed the roof of the car to get his bearings. He blinked once, twice, three times but it was all blurry. His head hurt so bad that he just wanted to curl up in a ball and not open his eyes again. Danny reached towards the roof again and felt himself slipping down the side of the car. His knees were shaking and his vision blurred. When he hit the ground, Danny Williams was unconscious.

There was a pause of about five minutes before the screen door creaked open. Babette slowly emerged holding a baseball bat. Behind her was her sister in law Joann. They crept down the stairs then over to where Danny lay, crumpled, legs tucked into his tummy. 

“Is he awake?” Joann asked as Babette toed the drugged cop. 

“Naw. He’s still out. I gave him enough amyl mixed with Fiophenylfal to make him miserable.”

“That was brilliant, Babs!” Joann chortled. 

“All it takes is a smidge on the clothes!” Babette said proudly. “Ok now let’s tie him up and drag him downstairs. He won’t care if he thumps down the stairs!”

“Steve! It’s Kono! Where are you?”

Steve pressed the talk button on his truck’s phone and answered that he was about a mile from HQ.

“You’d better sit down. I just got an alert from HPD on our other 2 victims. One was married to Babette Prindle while the other was engaged to Joann Prindle!”

“Fuck!!” Steve threw the lights and siren on and sped towards the Palace. “Tell Danny would ya ? Is he still there?”

“No, Steve I came in and he was gone.”

“Ok I’m here.” Steve jumped out of his truck and ran into the Palace, impatiently using his keycard to access the door. He had not seen Danny’s car in the parking lot, and he was worried that Danny had somehow followed a lead. Like going to talk to Joanne. Fuck fuck fuck.  
Steve burst into the office and saw Kono and Chin at the computer. 

“Pull Danny’s phone records!” Steve barked. He frantically searched Danny’s tidy desk but saw no clues except the aspirin bottle sitting out.

“Steve. You’re not going to like this, but Danny got a call at approximately 6:15 tonight from a number belonging to Babette Prindle.” Chin put up the record on the screen. “And I checked the security cam. Danny left here at 6:20.”

“Do me a favour? Call Lou get him to arrange SWAT to meet us at that address. She’s a hoarder so we don’t know what we’re getting into. Put a trace on Danny’s car and get your TAK vests.” Dammit. Fuck. 

“Hello? Wake up Baby Bear!”

Danny heard the voice from far away but he didn’t respond right away. His head still hurt and his arms felt like they had gone numb.

“Wake him up, Babs!”

Danny heard a snap and then an ammonia stick was placed under his nose. He jerked and brought his head up and if that didn’t hurt nothing did! He opened his eyes and tried to focus. His head was still hammering and he felt like he was going to vomit. He discovered three things as he slowly came awake:

One—He was hanging by his wrists on a pulley of chains. His wrists were clad in manacles and these were attached to the pulley system. He looked up as much as he could manage and saw that the pulley system was rather extensive and there were several meat hooks dangling from the area in the middle.

Two—his mobile and gun were laying on the table next to the wall. The 2 women were also sitting at the table but they were ignoring him after bringing him abruptly awake.

Three—he could not touch the floor with his feet. And his feet were bare. Like the rest of him. Yes he was naked. 

“My partner knows where I am,” Danny said or at least he tried to say it. His words were slurred and didn’t make a whole lot of sense.

“Shhhhh Baby Bear. Save your strength. We got some fun and games just for you.” Babette rose and stood in front of Danny looking him up and down appraisingly. She flicked a nipple and Danny recoiled, trying to kick her but his legs felt useless. 

“Fuck you” he tried to say but it came out like a garbled mess. He couldn’t summon the saliva to spit at her. So he just closed his eyes and willed himself somewhere else. Maybe he was laying warm and comfy in Steve’s bed, Steve’s arms around him and a plate of cold cheese and crunchy rustic bread was on the stand so they could nibble all day.

“Right or left?” Babette flicked Danny’s nipples again.

“Left. Over his heart.” Joanne answered intent on fixing something she held in her hand. Danny looked over and saw with horror that it was a meat injection tool. His stomach did a 360 and he vomited all over Babette and himself.

“Oh my GOD!!!” She slapped his face hard, then hit him again then again. Danny felt the sting of an open cut mixed with the slime from his stomach as it ran down his cheek.

“The little bastard puked on ya did he? Well, go change. I’ll wait for ya.” Joanne was smirking and laughing as Babette retreated and Danny heard her walking up creaking stairs.

“Don’t worry ... we have all night, darlin. You remind me of a rabbit, all soft and furry,” Joanne ran a nail down the center of Danny’s chest. “When I saw you at the morgue when I was crying for my poor husband that pitiful fool of a man...” she spit on Danny and it joined the puke on his face. “Oh, that was some act wasn’t it? Your partner has beautiful eyes. I bet he’s good in bed. How about you, bunny rabbit? You good in bed? Don’t matter. I’m gonna debone you like the rabbits at the meat house. Gonna take you apart.”

“Ok I’m coming! Are we ready?” Babette reappeared. 

“We are!”

Steve led the tactical team and SWAT was ready with Lou while Duke commanded HPD. They had surrounded the house and all of the exits. Now it was just a matter of breaking in and finding Danny.

“They aren’t too bright, leaving his Camaro in the driveway,” Lou whispered.

“Serial killers aren’t when they are propelled by the need to do what they need to do,” Steve answered. He had learned that fact at a seminar he’d attended last month. How fortuitous, he thought grimly, hoping against hope that Danny was still alive.

Steve looked around him and found everyone in good order. He had warned them that it might be a hoarder situation so they were well attuned to that. He gave a nod and raised his hand to move out. From here on in they would only use their comms to communicate.

Kono and Chin were poised at the front door along with a battery of SWAT team members while Lou and Duke held the back door. Steve was going in through the cellar as the doors, 2 side by side, opened out. On his count all hell broke loose!

Steve threw open the basement doors, ducking and just narrowly missing getting shot by a rifle suspended with wires, rigged to go off when someone opened the doors! Thank God for his SEAL instinct and with a prayer on his lips he leapt down into the cellar not bothering with the stairs.

The 2 women were huddled in the corner holding on to Danny who was naked and bound with manacles. He was completely out of it, though Steve didn’t think he was dead because if he was they wouldn’t use him as a bargaining chip.

“Stop right there, Steve!” Joanne said. She held a meat probe next to Danny’s ear. “I’ll do it! Call off your hounds!”

By this time, Kono and Lou and Chin had crept down the stairs and were aiming their guns on the women.

“You’re going to die. Do you want to die?” Steve asked, moving closer. “Let him go. The judge might be lenient on you..”

“You think I believe that?” Joanne screamed. Babette was nuzzling Danny’s neck, licking him and biting him. 

Suddenly Steve saw a flicker of Danny’s hand movement. He indicated a ‘2’ and Steve said loudly “one... two...”

Danny raised his manacled hands and slid away on his stomach on the floor and before the women had a chance to react, they were dead from several bullet wounds.

“Danny... oh God... hold still, gonna get the EMT’s down here...” Steve knelt and pulled Danny over on to his lap. He pulled his TAK vest off and wrapped it around Danny who was trying to talk but things weren’t sounding so good. “You’re ok, Babe, I got you.”

“Steve...” Danny struggled then went completely limp. 

“Over here!” Steve waved his one arm above his head and waited while the paramedics lifted Danny onto the stretcher. Danny was so pale and his face was a mess of vomit and blood. But he was alive! Steve’s legs felt weak at the knees. “Can I ride with him?” 

“As long as you stay out of the way, Commander.” 

“Take him to Trippler.”

Three hours later, the whole family was gathered—Kono, Chin, Jerry, Max, Duke, Lou, Kamakona and Flippa, and Steve. They were sprawled across the seats or drinking coffee or, like Steve, pacing. Steve hadn’t bothered to notify Rachel. She had lost touch with Danny when they’d divorced and she’d met Stan, who moved her and her daughter Grace to Las Vegas. Danny had been a bit sad to see his stepdaughter leave the Island, but they were not particularly close and had never forged any kind of bond when he’d been married to Rachel for those 2 years. So no, she’d get no phone call, though Steve had phoned Danny’s parents. He had them on speed dial in case the doctor came out.

“Steve.” Chin grabbed Steve’s arm and guided him over to the chair. “Walking to China is not going to get the doc out any quicker.”

“I blame myself, Chin. Danny knew we should have re-questioned Joanne but I was so adamant that she was a grieving widow. I didn’t listen to him and now this. “

“We can second guess ourselves all night, Steve, but it won’t help Danny any. You did what you thought was right. And he must have been lured there somehow. Nobody is to blame, Steve. You saved his life.”

“Nitrate poisoning is serious,” Steve sighed. 

“So he’s in the right place to get that fixed,” Chin said.

“Steve?”

The doctor had come out of the trauma suite and was looking quite pleased. “There’s someone who wants to see you.”

“Danny? Oh ok yeah...” Steve looked around and grinned dopily at his teammates. “I’ll let you know how he is.”

Steve followed the doctor down the hall to an open area with beds lined up against the wall. Danny was laying in one of the beds, oxygen mask on his face, his arm sporting an IV. His colour had returned and they had cleaned him up and bandaged the one open cut on his temple.

“Hey.” Steve pulled the chair up and took one of Danny’s hands in his own.

“Hey,” Danny rasped from under the mask. His eyes fluttered open then shut again. 

“We got you out of there just in time. Hope you’ll feel better once that stuff leaves your bloodstream.” Steve strokes Danny’s hand and then drew little circles over the soft skin on his wrist.

“Crazy,” Danny said then coughed. Steve went to grab the bell but Danny stopped him with a hand on Steve’s arm. He shook his head no and laid back down, head sinking into the pillow.

“I should have listened to you. There’s no way I should have just discounted what you said. I’m sorry.” Steve held Danny’s hand up against Steve’s face. “I’m so sorry. This is my fault.”

“Steve.” Danny opened his eyes to lock into Steve’s gaze. “Stop. Not your fault.”

“Danny...” Steve bit back the tears that threatened to spill from his eyes. “Is there room for me in there?”

“Goof,” Danny said but slid over so Steve could curl up sideways against Danny even though Steve’s feet were sticking out from the bed. Steve began to snuggle Danny to him, stroking Danny’s arms and hands, and some part of Danny understood that this is what Steve needed, to feel Danny’s skin and bones and breath below Steve’s hands. He just lay there, responding to the ministrations with a couple of squeezes of his hands.

“I love you.” Steve kissed Danny’s shoulder and upper arm. “Love you.” Kisses on Danny’s head and neck. “Only you. Love you.” Kisses on Danny’s chest and hands.

“Love you too,” Danny murmurs under the mask but he’s sleepy and too tired to really tackle a full length conversation.

Steve stopped kissing and just held Danny fiercely to himself. He realized Danny needed his sleep. Rest will make him better. But Steve just isn’t ready to give up on cleansing his own soul right now.

“Listen Danny, you were right and I was wrong. I shouldn’t just downplay your hunches. You’re a damn fine detective and—“

“Steve.” Danny has opened his eyes again.

“Yes Babe?” Steve said while stroking Danny’s chest and tummy.

“Shutup. Please.”

Steve grinned then burrowed into the bed like he, too, belonged there. And if his octopus arms and giraffe legs were wrapped around Danny well that was alright too.


	6. I Do

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is it! This is what we’ve all been waiting for—the wedding day! Get out your Kleenex, you have been warned.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A true tag-team effort on this chapter! I wrote half and then jawnslulluby21 took over. Hope you enjoy it !

Steve opened his eyes, took a deep breath, and stretched, all in one movement. He reached out his left arm and found his phone, brought it to his range of vision and checked the time. Perfect! Switching off the alarm, he swung his legs over the side of the bed, and ruffled his unruly bed head hair. Grab some fruit, swim, shower, shave. Then relax and put the final touches in his speech. OK, that was a bit daunting because, even though he’d been practicing, the next time he spoke those words aloud, it would be in front of at least 150 people!

He let his gaze travel to his bedroom door, where his Naval dress blues hung, ironed to a crisp crease. His shirt was pressed to perfection, his tie hung carefully around the hanger. Oh. My. God. The day he had so impatiently worked towards and waited for was finally here. The day that everyone plus everyone’s sister/mother/aunt had a loud opinion about, the day that made him both giddy to think about and nervous as hell had finally arrived. The day he was marrying his one true love, Danny!

An hour later, after a good swim, some food, and a shower and shave, Steve grabbed his water bottle and sank into his easy chair, his eyes scanning the sheet with his wedding vows. He read over them, for most likely the millionth time, and he found himself tearing up unabashedly. Somehow he’d get through these vows, to the man who owned his heart, in front of family and friends. Yes, there probably would be a few tears, because he was pouring his heart out, and he meant every heartfelt word. Danny has fought with him and beside him, he’d tied into him in anger when he needed it, but mostly Danny had shown him love and had shown him how to love.

There was a rap on the door, and in popped Kono. Her hair was in an updo but she was still in shorts and a tee shirt.

“Hey boss, just making sure you haven’t hopped a plane to LA!” She giggled at the thought. “You good?”

He waved the paper at her. “Just reviewing this, making a few tweaks and relaxing. Everything going ok?”

“The grove is beautiful! Just the right little breeze, blue skies. Perfect day, you guys will be blessed!” A truck pulled in beside her car. “And right on time, the tables so they can finish the back yard!”

Before Steve could get up, he heard Lou and Chin telling the workers where to park for easy access. Steve had wanted to give Danny a nice venue for the reception but instead Danny insisted on using the yard behind the house. He and Steve spent many peaceful evenings sitting at the waters edge, and he said he wanted to share the sunset with everyone. So the yard had been groomed, the bushes had been trimmed, and it seemed that the flowers had all understood to bloom on the same day. The reception goers would enjoy a lush and fragrant setting.

“Ok, bye cousin, we men are here to attend to the groom!” Chin ushered Kono out the door as Lou barged in brandishing 3 huge cigars.

“Man, look at you! I’ve never seen anyone quite so....under-dressed on their wedding day! Here, light up and enjoy!” Lou handed Steve a cigar and brandished a lighter. “You still gonna do this?”

“Lou!!” Chin admonished as he flopped on to the leather sofa. 

“Doesn’t hurt to ask!”

Steve accepted the light and puffed at the cigar. One thing was certain, Lou knew his cigars, which always appeared at special occasions. “Truthfully, I have never been more ready for anything in my life. Just telling myself not to cry during the vows!”

Lou and Chin exchanged glances. “Good luck with that, Steve,” Chin intoned. “I was all choked up just saying ‘I do’!” To which Lou nodded enthusiastically as he lit his own cigar and offered to light Chin’s.

Steve pursed his lips. “You know, if anyone deserves tears, it’s my Danny. We’ve been through hell and back. Together. He’s never wavered, he’s always been my backup.”

The two men on the sofa laughed and put their hands together in supplication. “What is wrong with you?” They intoned together.

“Yeah, OK, you know what? I probably deserve every single time he says that!” Steve poked the arm of his chair to emphasize his words. “I know I take risks, I know he doesn’t fully understand it when I do that, but we love each other.” Steve’s eyes glistened with tears and he continued. “I don’t deserve him, not one bit, but he loves me and I love him for that!”

“For what it’s worth, I think you two are perfect for each other. Honi Ka Waha!” Chin smiled at Steve.

Taking a deep breath, Steve nodded, folded the very creased paper in his hand, and stood up. “Gentlemen, I have a wedding to get ready for!”

The grove, on the edge of a park, was often used for weddings. It was lush, shaded, and had a beautiful ocean vista. Chairs for the wedding guests had been set up on either side of a aisle that was lined with calla lilies. Navy blue accents were tied to the chairs, the guests were given blue and white leis, the area where the bride and groom—groom and groom?—would face the officiant was festooned with a variety of blue and white blooms. 

It was such a lovely afternoon that none of the guests seemed to notice the ceremony was 15 minutes behind schedule. One of Danny’s shirt buttons had fallen off, luckily right at his feet, and his mother Clara and Kono had to calm him down while sewing it back on. Once settled, Kono scooped up her bouquet and rushed to her spot in line, also flashing a sign to Steve and his attendants to take their places before the gathering.

An air of expectation rustled through the crowd upon seeing the groom, in his dress blues, striding down the aisle. Very quickly Steve realized he couldn’t make eye contact or the tears might start. Tears of pure joy, but being so emotional was slightly unnerving to the Navy SEAL! Next came Danny’s attendants which made the gathered crowd start craning their necks for a glimpse of the blushing bride. 

And Danny did not disappoint! He had painstakingly matched his tuxedo to Steve’s dress blues. The jacket had long tails, gold buttons adorning the front and three in each sleeve. His crisp white shirt was topped off with a light blue crossover tie, pinned with a dark blue broach. His cummerbund matched his tie, and Steve’s immediate thought was how he’d get lost in all that blue because it sparked the blue in those smiling eyes!

The officiant, a Navy chaplain whom Steve was quite fond of, beamed at each of them before he asked the guests to rise and join him in a brief prayer. Then he began the very hybrid ceremony.

“Groom and Bride, We are gathered here to celebrate your marriage. This day you have chosen to affirm your love for each other with spoken words, with prayer, and with the sharing of symbols.” Then to the guests he declared, “Steven and Daniel have each written their own vows, which they will now share with each other, before us as their witnesses. Daniel, I believe you wished to begin?”

Danny grinned, then he looked solemn and earnest. “One hot steamy afternoon, I had an encounter that changed my whole world. I encountered some stubborn, bull-headed military guy who pulled his gun on me, and on the count of three, Steven J. McGarrett entered my life. From that day on, my life was full of annoyance and aggravation, adventure and a big share of MISadventures. As I got to know this Steven guy, nobody warned me that I’d get shot at and shot, that I’d end up giving him part of my liver, that I’d jump out of a plane, and the list goes on!!” Danny held up a long sheet of paper that he pretended was a list. “But something else no one warned me about was how charming, how sweet....yes! Sweet!!! This Navy SEAL could be. And no one warned me that I’d fall head over heels in love...with some guy who finds it difficult to even admit he’s injured himself chasing a perp!! What’s the matter with you??” After the tittering of the guests died down, Danny grabbed Steve’s hands. “I love you, babe, and I always will. I’m yours.”

Steve had to swallow hard to keep from turning into a blubbering fool right then and there. Could he even remember what he’d written? A sly look crossed his handsome face. “I remember that particular afternoon, and it was my crime scene!” Again, more tittering from the guests, as all eyes focused on Steve in his dress blues, looking so tall and proud. “Danny...” His voice faltered and he felt his eyes moisten. No, not now, not yet! “Daniel D. Williams, you have no idea what you’ve taught me, what you’ve done for me. Liver aside, of course. From the very first case we worked, you have been there for me, rock solid, unwavering.... ok maybe not so much when I’m driving or when I’m taking chances. But you are always there for me, calming me, being that healing that my soul has needed all of these years. Until I met you, I had no idea what it was that was missing, from my life, from my soul. But it’s been there since the day we met, and you have been my anchor, you have been my safe harbor in every storm I’ve faced since that day. I can only hope I’ve given you even half of the support and the courage that you’ve given to me. Danny, you are what my life and my soul were missing, you and the love you give me. I love you.” As he spoke the last three earnest words, the tears spilled from Steve’s eyes and trickled down his cheeks.

More solemn vows led by the chaplain, the much anticipated exchange of the rings and of the leis, and then next thing the happy couple knew, they were declared wedded and gave each other a big kiss in front of family and friends. Steve threatened to carry Danny back down the aisle, but the suggestion was met with a scowl and a push.

Danny suppressed a grin as he grabbed one of his husband’s big hands in his own and they sashayed down the aisle. Of course, Steve was giving him random kisses on his neck and cheek as they acknowledged their friends and family while walking. His heart was so open and happy, and if Danny could somehow bottle this feeling forever so he could bring it out and drench himself in the sensations during times of stress, well, he’d be one of the happiest people on earth. Steve pulled Danny close as they reached the end of the walkway and kissed him, gently and slowly, pulling away before getting too heated.

“I love you, my husband,” Steve whispered in Danny’s ear, then licked a strip from behind Danny’s ear to the start of his collar.

“And I love you, my husband,” Danny returned, shivering from the feeling.

“Come on guys. Time for photos.” Danny and Steve obediently followed Clara who had herded the Williams clan as well as Mary and Joanie, Kono, Chin, Lou, Jerry And Max in the wake. “Let’s set up over here,” Clara told the photographer indicating a white slatted bench with a nice back on it. A tree gave some shade and there were pods of flowers around it. 

“My Mom is going into overdrive,” Danny whispered, still hanging on to Steve’s arm. God, his Navy man was handsome, Danny thought not for the first time. It was those Dress Blues that made him weak in the knees every time and damned if Steve didn’t know that since he was standing ramrod straight with hat and gloves on, listening to Danny’s mother like she was his drill instructor.

“Danny and Steve, please sit down on the bench and then we will get some poses to shoot,” the photographer, a friend of Chin’s, said. He was trying to ascertain the distance and the amount of light in his shooting range, fiddling with his camera perched on the tripod.

“Wish we could just go eat,” Danny grumbled, though he knew that the photos were an important component of the whole matrimonial thing.

“Starving,” Steve whispered. A sneaky pinch to Danny’s thigh brought the smaller man face to face with Steve on the bench and Steve smiled benignly. 

“Stop it, you animal,” Danny scolded but there was warmth in his voice. He rubbed the spot then nudged Steve’s leg with his own. “Let’s get this done so we CAN eat!”

“Agree,” Steve said happily.

The reception was in full swing by the time the wedding entourage got there. After Danny and Steve endured what must have been 500 photos (Danny’s grumbling guess) they had all separated and ridden in the limos (provided by the Governor no less) back to Steve’s house, where the lane in was almost blocked by the parked cars on either side.

Before they joined the rest of the partygoers, Danny and Steve had mutually agreed that they would run upstairs and change into something a bit more comfortable, so they did just that as Danny’s Mom and Kono played Mother Hen and seated the rest of the entourage where they were supposed to be. Although Steve had said no assigned seats or tables, Clara Williams had declared that that was sacrilege and made a seating chart at the last moment. Danny had shrugged at Steve and said something about Jersey traditions, and Steve had sighed and gone along with it because really who was going to go against the force of nature that was Clara Williams?

Danny shrugged out of his suit jacket and went to reach for his tie but Steve stopped him. He invaded Danny’s space so he was close enough for Danny to smell the clean scent of soap and a light beach cologne, close enough that Danny felt the heat radiating from Steve’s body. Danny wanted to drown in it.

“Let me take this off you,” Steve said as he reached for Danny’s tie, and if his voice sounded husky with arousal who could be upset over that? For his part, Danny just stood and allowed Steve to undo his tie then pull it away from the collar of his shirt. Next Steve began to slowly unbutton Danny’s shirt and with a moan, Danny pushed Steve’s hands away.

“No no no do not start now...” Danny cupped a hand along Steve’s face and caressed the taller man’s face. “Our guests await.”

Suddenly, Lou was somehow there in the bedroom and he charged towards Steve. Danny hid a smile as the big man ranted about ‘shenanigans going on holding up the reception’” and “how many trained seals does it take to change clothes.”

“Lou, we’re getting-“ Steve began.

“Getting it on, yeah I know, now I’m here to make sure that doesn’t happen.” Lou huffed and picked up Steve’s shirt selected for the reception. It was a light blue button down but tailored to fit Steve’s hips and shoulders so he could wear it tail out. “Hang up the suit! Let’s go go go! Those ribs aren’t waiting for anyone!”

“Aye aye sir,” Steve laughed, though he still hungrily watched Danny as Danny bent to pull off his trousers and slip on his black straight legged jeans with the cuffs at the bottom. 

“We ain’t got all day, McGarrett,” Lou groused his eye of sight following Steve’s. “Come on Williams. Let’s get this shebang started.”

Danny grinned and slipped on a faded red coloured shirt, also tailored to fit the smaller man. Steve had chosen it for Danny not just because the material was so soft but that the colour was one he loved seeing on Danny. “There, Lou, are you happy now?” Danny asked toeing on his Nike slides.

“Me and all the rest of your guests,” Lou answered. He then led the way out of the bedroom and down the hall as Steve, now wearing a pair of black Levi’s, and Danny followed in his wake. “Found them!” Lou bellowed as he winked at Chin. “You were right in sending me to chaperone.”

“They weren’t getting with the program?” Chin snickered, eyes dancing in amusement.

“Oh no they were at that. The bedroom program that is!” Lou laughed and sat down beside his wife Renee who popped a mint from the table favours into her husband’s mouth.

“Steve... there’s a lot of people here,” Danny whispered, continuing his death grip on Steve’s hand. 

“So it seems.” Steve led Danny to the head table as Flippa announced them as ‘husband and husband’ to the utter delight of their friends and family who burst into applause. Steve ducked his head until he and Danny were at their places along the table then pulled his new mate into a warm embrace and a kiss. Danny felt the gentle touch of Steve’s tongue against his bottom lip and opened his mouth so Steve could orally claim him. My God, the man could kiss, and Danny was hopeful that he’d never figure out just how many ways Steve could make him weak in the knees with that mouth and tongue.

“I love you, Mr. Williams McGarrett.” Steve rubbed his nose against Danny’s nose.

“Oh so it isn’t McGarrett Williams? Should have been,” Danny teased. When they signed the marriage papers, they had had some discussion over how Danny’s new name should be even though Danny had at first adamantly said no he was not going to change his existing name. But despite their banter and Danny’s stubbornness, Danny had seen that look on Steve’s face, one that told him there was a fair amount of hurt in the ‘I hope you’re teasing’ look, and had acquiesced.

“We’ve been through this, Danny,” Steve answered fondly and Danny didn’t really mind.

“When do you think we can eat?” Danny whispered, holding tightly to Steve’s shirt with one hand while the other was flat against his now husband’s chest, feeling that strong heartbeat under the material.

“I don’t know,” Steve sighed.

The reception then began with a bleat on the conch shell. One of Kamakona’s cousins delivered a nice blessing, then the head of the catering company walked over to each table to let them know to go through the buffet line. 

Traditional dishes were flanked by good solid Jersey dishes, and Danny’s mouth watered as he went through the line looking at the selections. There was a table full of salads—tossed, 2 pasta salads, a rice salad and a delicious looking fruit salad with native fruits all soaked in a honey wine sauce.

Next up? The pasta bar, a Jersey thing that Danny had insisted on having. Danny chose a bow tie pasta in a tomato and artichoke red sauce whilst Steve picked the rigatoni and a hearty Bolognese sauce.

At the following tables, a large selection of Island Favourites were arranged with ice sculptures and flowers adorning the tables. Crab cakes and Teriyaki beef sat side to side with huli-huli chicken and chicken long rice plus marinated ribs. Kamakona had made his famous coconut shrimp and that was given a place of honour amongst the selections. Danny took a little of everything, and if there were more glasses of peach and Prosecco on the table to drink, well, that only made the food taste better.

Danny and Steve stole bites of food from each others’ plates, and occasionally held a fork up to the other’s with a proffered piece of a particular goodie. By the third glass of the delicious peach and Prosecco, Danny was feeling full, warm and happy. Of course, many well wishers came over to their table to offer their warmest wishes, and Danny and Steve accepted them gratefully. It was an afternoon of giddy giggling and mushy, warm, saturating love and Danny wouldn’t have it any other way.

Towards evening, there were calls to cut the cake so Steve and Danny posed in front of the three tier masterpiece adorned with a replica sugar Camaro and two figures with TAK vests standing beside the car, little sugary hands entwined. The cake was peppermint patty, a true case of their linked background because Danny had always found the bag of the candy in Steve’s freezer, and Steve always made sure to have them for his friend/partner/lover. There was no squishing the cake in each others’ faces; instead each man held out a spoonful of cake and frosting and they ate like civilized adults. 

“Danny?” Steve asked as they sat back down, ready to demolish their cake pieces on their plates.

“Yeah Babe?” Danny answered as he paused with his fork at the ready.

“When did you love me? I mean seriously love me?” Steve took Danny’s surprisingly slender wrist held it to his lips and planted little kisses along the veins. The effect went straight to Danny’s crotch and he pulled his wrist away lest Steve make him embarrass himself when he next stood up.

“Uh that’s a uh good question...” Danny considered though he knew the answer already. 

“Want to know when I realized it?” Steve whispered, his breath hot and moist against Danny’s ear. Danny shivered and Steve poured them each another P&P.

“When?” Danny said huskily, drinking the sweet beverage and already knowing he was mostly in the bag.

“In the garage. I found what I was looking for. God, you all blonde and blue eyes and scruffy chinned with that ridiculous tie and smoking HOT body and that fucking sassy mouth....” Steve began to lick and nibble the area behind Danny’s ear again and oh God the words, the voice, that mouth on his skin felt like electric. Danny moaned audibly and turned his face to let Steve capture his lips. 

“I should have just thrown you in the back of the Marquis and fucked you until you shut up,” Steve continued then kissed Danny hard, hand cradling and pressing Danny’s head to his as his lips opened Danny’s mouth and claimed Danny’s mouth.

“Uh I’d ask if you like the cake but um I guess you do even second hand.” Danny looked up breaking the kiss and pulling away from his husband, grinning slyly at his sister Bridget, who was looking at them with dancing eyes and an amused grin on her face.

“It’s delicious!” Steve said. He picked up his fork and dug in, devouring the sweetness.

“Kudos to the bakery who made this and uh I already told Ma I want the topper,” Danny answered.

“You two...” Bridget shook her head and laughed. “Better be ready to dance it up. DJ E Train is getting things set up!”

Danny glanced over his shoulder to where his nephew was sorting out the various equipment he needed to play the music. “Yep we’ll be ready,” Danny said waving his own fork around. 

If Danny had any doubts that his nephew wouldn’t represent Jersey, they were dispelled immediately when Frank of the Sinatra variety began to croon. That was followed with a couple from Frankie Valli and some Springsteen. Danny leaned against Steve as he sat sideways in his chair, Steve’s arms possessively around Danny, hands stroking under the shirt, fingers tremulous on Danny’s warm skin. This was their day, and by God it had been beautiful from start to finish. Danny had nothing to complain about. He was buzzed and full and being adored by the man who adored him. 

Eric at the mic cut through Danny’s thoughts and he sat up when his nephew announced that Danny and Steve were to lead the charge to the dance floor.

“I’ll be there for you  
These 5 words I swear to you  
When you breathe I want to be the air for you  
Ill be there for you...”

Steve held Danny so tightly and was singing to Danny, voice close to Danny’s ear.

“I know you know we’ve had some good times  
How they have their own hiding place  
I can promise you tomorrow  
But I can’t buy back yesterday.”

Danny felt the tears fall down his cheeks and he burrowed against Steve’s chest. This man, this impossible reckless brave selfless giving handsome sexy man was all his. Forever. And they had forever didn’t they?

“I’ll live and I’ll die for you  
Steal the sun from the sky for you  
Words can’t say what a love can do  
I’ll be there for you.”

“I realized I was in love with you when I was so affected by the Sarin gas... or maybe before but you came into my life when I needed you,” Danny said just so Steve could hear him. “I saw your pain that was mine, your panic that was mine, and that was just about the time Rachel had made it clear that she wanted nothing to do with me, even being friends. She and Grace were with Stan and the money meant more to her than any one person. And you took my heart when you sat at my bedside holding my hand and giving me sips of water and slept in that chair...” Danny’s grip tightened on Steve and he felt like the tears would start falling again. Steve, bless him, pulled back so he could cup Danny’s chin in his hand and raise his face so they were looking at each other. With the song Steve sang along.

“I’ll be there for you  
These five words i swear to you  
When you breathe I wanna be the air for you  
I’ll be there for you”

And if there were fireworks on the beach that night, they weren’t made of gunpowder.

And if there were tears and laughter, it was only because they were so happy to be together.

And if they both fell asleep tangled in messy sheets and limbs akimbo, it was the perfect ending to a perfect day.


	7. 37 Feet of Love

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Steve just wanted to make Danny happy, and have a wonderful honeymoon!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This honeymoon will be one for the books!

Danny blinked open his eyes and started to stretch like a cat on the bed. First he moved his toes, then his legs then his torso, arms, shoulders. Then finally his neck. He was alone in their bed, with no Steve to be found and he was mildly disappointed. They were on their Honeymoon, the day after getting married. Danny had planned to give Steve some personal up and close attention now, but obviously, his new husband was off doing something else. Danny looked once again at his left hand and reverently touched the ring adorning his finger. Such a beautiful band, with inset 2 onyx stones and 2 sapphire stones, the gems representing both of them. Steve’s band was almost the same, albeit a bit wider.

Finally succumbing to the call of nature, Danny crawled out of bed and stripped the sheets off behind himself. Those he threw in the laundry basket and, as naked as the day he was born, sauntered in to get cleaned up. Not surprisingly, he and Steve were so hot for each other after the wedding that Steve had literally slammed Danny down on the mattress and mounted him, preliminaries be damned. But Danny was ready, had been ready, was so willing and wanton that’s Steve had carte blanche to do what he wanted to do. In between recovery times, the now married couple had spent what seemed like hours kissing and caressing. Danny was feeling the effects of being claimed a few times but he ignored the raw feeling and showered quickly, now driven by the smell of coffee wafting up from the kitchen. He fully intended to down a couple cups of that liquid heart starter along with some leftovers from their wedding feast and was showered, hair arranged, sweatpants and tee on and scrambling down the stairs in record time.

“Your coffee, my Prince,” Steve was holding out Danny’s big blue mug, a souvenir from Maui, while he sported a strange mischievous grin. 

Danny reached for his caffeine fix with grabby hands then leaned against the counter to drink, the first swallow heavenly. “Where have you been?” Danny asked, noticing Steve was fully dressed right down to a pair of trackies. That disarming grin appeared on Steve’s handsome face again and Danny hesitated, knowing something was up. “What’s going on?” The smaller man asked suspiciously.

“Nuthin.” Steve dangled a set of keys in front of Danny. “Except this.”

“What? You finally put out to get me a new car after wrecking mine for so long, Babe?” Danny’s sun bleached eyebrows shot up and he looked very hopeful.

“What? No!” Steve said decisively. “This is related to our honeymoon.”

“Uhhhhh our honeymoon.” Danny nodded and pulled a face sticking his bottom lip out, and if he could look any more adorable than surely he couldn’t. “Ooohhhkay spill.”

“Just finish your coffee and I’ll show you.” Steve patted Danny’s cheek and then turned towards the fridge. He pulled open the handle to reveal the loaded shelves inside. “Want some shrimp? Or pasta salad? I could warm up those ribs if u want.”

“Are you sandbagging me, Babe?” Danny asked suspiciously. “What’s the deal with the honeymoon?”

“Ok, ya done with your coffee?” Steve asked anxiously, closing up the fridge and fairly bouncing off the soles of his feet. He kept moving the keys around on his fingers and grinning like a Goddamn Cheshire Cat! Danny held out the now empty cup and his tensions mounted as he watched his new husband. He hated surprises and this seemed like a doozy. “Ok! Um...” Steve was now scrabbling around their dish towel drawer until he found a solid blue one. “Put this over your eyes—“

“No.” Danny ducked out of the way and started for the front of the house.

“No no no, come on, Danny, it’s a surprise!!” Steve caught up to the smaller man quickly and pulled on Danny’s arm then deciding just as quickly, grabbed Danny around the waist and hoisted him up on his shoulder so Danny was facing backwards in a fireman’s carry. Of course, Danny hated being carried and it was a running joke between them but drastic times called for drastic measures. Steve wanted his honeymoon gift to be a surprise on his terms.

“Dammit!! Steve! Put me down!” Danny tried to kick with his feet but Steve just looped a restraining arm over his legs at the knees and walked through the house with a muttering swearing partner over his shoulder.

“If you promise to behave I’ll put you down,” said Steve, “but no biting and no kicking!”

“Fine ok yes!” Danny huffed.

Steve had taken them out the front door and down to the driveway where it cut off from the main lane. “Ok Danny I’m gonna put you down but ya gotta promise to close your eyes and not open them til I say.”

Danny scrabbled down and stood swaying slightly but his eyes were squeezed shut. “I hate this, I hate this so much!”

“Don’t be hating yet, Baby.” Steve’s voice was almost giddy and Danny steeled himself for something less than sane. Steve pulled Danny along the walkway into the driveway and stopped. Danny could smell all the peony flowers lining the drive and kept himself grounded by snorting the aroma. “Ok not yet ok...” Steve stopped and Danny almost ran into him.

“Steve...” Danny growled.

“Ok ok, open your eyes, Danny!”

Of all the things Danny expected to see, a motor home was not one of them. Stuptified, Danny staresd at the monstrosity that sat in their driveway, taking up most of one side of the asphalt lane.

“It’s a Class A Model 2007 Winnebago, Danny! Isn’t she a beaut?” Steve excitedly ran over to the driver’s side door and stepped up on the running board. He reached into the motor home and did something at the console because suddenly the side door opened with a whoosh. Steve jumped down and ran to Danny, who was still in a mild case of shock, thank you very much, and grabbed Danny’s hand, pulling him towards the open door.

“Come on!’ Steve pushed his mate inside the door and Danny wordlessly stumbled up the big stairs and into the motor home. Steve was right behind him, babbling a mile a minute.  
“Look at her! She’s a beauty and all refurbished with brand new materials! Got a nice sofa here and a tv,” Steve pointed at the sofa, which, if Danny wanted to be snarky he’d call it a loveseat, and then at the tv mounted on the wall. The dinette came next and Steve demonstrated how it folded down ‘ just in case you wanted another bed’, and Danny was about to protest that he sure as hell was not sleeping on a fold down table with a couple of foam inserts beneath his ass but Steve had hopped to the kitchen. It was all tricked out in shades of chrome and neutrals like the rest of the decor color, and surprisingly large for being in a motor home. The fridge was a normal size and with a waggle of his eyebrows Steve opened the fridge door and extended his hand like a Price is Right product demonstrator.

“Look, Danny, we’ve got beer, wine, and plenty of room for our leftovers!” And Danny, caught in Steve’s frantic energy , could only nod and look. “Down here,” Steve said, “ are the washer and dryer behind the door, and don’t worry we have full water hookups where we are going!”

“Huh. Who knew that an RV would bring all of the dreaded conveniences from home,” Danny said sarcastically.

“Moving on, the washroom or loo or head or bathroom with a nice shower... and finally,” Steve grabbed Danny’s hand and led him the end distance down the hall. “And this is where the magic happens!” Steve said happily, stopping at the door to the back bedroom. There was a queen sized bed taking up much of the room but closets and shelves were erected beside the bed on both sides and a tv was suspended on the wall opposite the bed. “Well? We have reservations at a camping grounds that borders a forest and a beach. What do you think, Danny? Oh and a canopy... uh outside...”

Danny was warring with himself mentally, unsure of which way to go. On one hand, he could see how much this meant to Steve, who seemed over the moon as he watched Danny’s carefully neutral face. And on the other hand, Danny, if true to himself, hated camping and anything outdoors. He’d never been on a motor home, let alone traveled in one, and this house on wheels was not particularly appealing. And since when did Steve even think that Danny wanted to camp? Roasting marshmallows over a fire was one thing but building said fire in some remote section of the Big Island was so not! Danny again studied his mate’s face and sighed. Steve was like a big puppy and he looked so damn HOPEFUL that Danny knew what his decision must be.

“Well uh its uh big and uh nice, and as long as I can use the fucking toilet instead of going in a bush, I’m ok with it.” Danny exhaled and ran a hand through his sun streaked hair.

“Really? Really Danny?” Steve whooped and grabbed Danny, throwing them both on the bed. Steve started to kiss Danny all over the smaller man’s face and Danny began to giggle until Steve reached down between them to grab Danny’s cock. 

“Steve,” Danny hissed. 

“Just think how we can just stay in bed and fuck the days away while parked in the jungle,” Steve whispered, stroking Danny’s hardening member through his sweat pants.

“Steve... Steven...!” Danny scrambled out of Steve’s octopus grip and stood up, ignoring his pulsing penis. “I need more details on this trip,” he said., ignoring the disappointment in his mate’s eyes. “Jungle? Um yeah ok, is there a road? Hookups or whatever they are called?” 

“Yeah Babe, I told ya we have a spot and it has both electric and water—“

“And you also said JUNGLE!” Danny fairly shouted, turning and walking back through the motor home. “I hate the fucking woods,” he muttered and opened the fridge to see what Steve had placed inside and saw Longnecks as well as some wine. 

“If you don’t want to hike in the woods, you don’t have to, I promise you.” Steve was behind him, nuzzling Danny’s neck and pulling him close.

“Who’s gonna drive this? You ever drive one of these?” Danny asked worriedly looking up at the ‘cockpit’ for want of a better word. The seats—driver and passenger— were leather, large and comfy. And looked like they could be swiveled backwards.

“Me,” Steve answered nibbling now on Danny’s shoulder and ear lobe. “Piece of cake, cuz they’re as big as a transport truck.”

“Which I suppose, GI Joe, you drove across the desert to save all of the slave girls in the Harem,” Danny said, trying hard not to think about what Steve’s nibbling was doing to his perky parts.

“That’s the Army, Danny,”Steve corrected, now having Danny’s full attention when he added hands on Danny’s pebble like nipples.

“Dammit, SuperSeal,” Danny sighed. “When do we leave?”

Steve finished zipping up his duffel and dragged it down the stairs. It held both his and Danny’s clothes for their ten days away and Steve was very anxious to get them packed and on the road. He figured it would take about two hours, if traffic was good, to get to the state military based campground and he wanted to get there before dark set in. There were jacks to level and blocks to put under wheels and a canopy to set up, none of the chores did he want to do in the dark.

For Danny to have agreed to go along with this just left a big ball of happy in Steve’s stomach. He remembered the dream he had had 6 months earlier, and how affected he was, crying in Danny’s arms in the chair by the beach. Steve had been desperate to hold on to Danny after that, through those crazy cases they had solved, like the meat medulla killers and the chop shop gang tied to an Asian cartel. Marrying Danny, after a simple proposal when he and Danny had been at the Overlook propelled their world forward to the marriage and now this.

“Danny? You got our yummy stuff in there?” Steve slid behind Danny’s butt which was sticking out enticingly from his position of head first in the fridge.

“Yeah plus I raided the cupboards for staples. This thing doesn’t have a coffee machine,” Danny mumbled. He followed Steve down the hall and watched as Steve threw the duffel on the bed. “Did you bring underwear and stuff like that?” He asked because it was just like Steve to not bring civilized garments.

“Yes, my love.” Steve reached for Danny but he was too quick and started down the hallway.

“I packed a 12 roll of toilet paper and our first aid kit, shower gel, shampoo, hair dryer—“ Danny ticked off the items.

“—no need for a hair dryer. Bathroom has a built in.”

“Oh.” Danny seemed to consider this and shrugged. “Oh well.”

“Besides,” Steve laughed, “who says you’re gonna be out of bed long enough so people see your perfect hair?” Steve got flipped off for that but he just laughed.

“Ok but the big problem is uh my coffee—“ Danny began.

“Oh that reminds me,” said Steve. “One present you have to open before we depart.” He held a finger up indicating Danny should wait and dashed out of the RV and into the house.

Danny sighed and looked around. God, just what kinds of bugs was he going to encounter? He’d packed Deep Woods Off and a citronella candle he’d found in Steve’s messy pantry. The RV had dishes—plates and silverware and cups— and a knife set on the counter so they hadn’t any need of those but Danny had thrown some paper plates in too. He heard Steve returning as he mentally added ‘get lube’ to his list.

“Here. It’s a three parter.” Steve laid the box on the table. It was wrapped in stork paper obviously meant for a baby shower.

“Uhhhhh Babe, are you hinting because uh—“ Danny began.

“Sorry it was the only paper I could find, left over from Mary’s baby shower. Come on! Open it!”

“Yeah?” Danny said smiling at his handsome man. Steve’s excitement was clearly on his face and in his actions. 

“Here, I’ll help you-“ Steve reached for a side of the box and Danny slapped his hand. “What are you, a buttinsky? I can open it myself! My present!” And Danny ripped off the paper and with apprehension opened the bigger box. He looked in curiously then up at Steve, a delighted smile spreading over his face. “Oh my God, Steve, this is perfect!”

“Open the next one!” Steve prompted.

“Ok...”Danny pulled out the brick of ground coffee and his eyes lit up even more. “Holy shit, you got me Kona!! You got me Kona for my French press!! Oh Steve!” Danny had no choice but to plant himself in Steve’s arms and give him kisses, some sweet and short and others downright dirty.

“Mmm as much as I’d like.... to keep this... we gotta get on the road... and you have one more package...”

Danny pulled away and suddenly it seemed like the sun was done orbiting around Steve. The warmth was gone and Danny had gone back to messing with the box. “What’s this? A case? Uh..” Danny pulled out a long zippered case and then suddenly figured out what it was. “Oh my God!” He began to giggle and held the case tightly against his body. 

“There are some that are made to be used in water,” Steve’s face was absolutely mischievous, his dark blue eyes twinkling.

“Well ok, babe, let’s get this monster on the road!” Danny put the French press on the upper cupboard along with the coffee than breezed to the bedroom and put the lubes inside the duffel.

“Alrighty. One last pit stop then we are out of here!” Steve directed.

Steve smoothly backed the RV out of the long lane leading to their house, even though Danny was biting his lip and looking around expecting Steve to crash into something at any given moment. The RV was easy to drive and it wasn’t long before they had made their way onto the Kamehameha Highway. Traffic was heavy but Steve had expected as much, so he kept the RV in the far right lane that was reserved for trucks and slow moving vehicles like theirs. Danny was still tense and hung on to the safety strap that looped around his shoulders, but Steve was in such a good mood that it didn’t bother him. Danny was usually a mass of nerves and pessimism until actually shown otherwise, and Steve was confident that once they camped, Danny would loosen up and enjoy himself. It was their honeymoon after all and Steve hoped Danny would have fun. But for right now, there were unknowns that were combining to make Danny a mass of nerves, and not of the good variety.

“Hey Danny?” Steve said cheerfully.

“What?” And of it sounded like the answer came from between gritted teeth well that was also typical.

“Turn on the radio.”

“Why? It will distract you.”

“Just... turn it on....” Steve ordered with a weary sigh.

“Ok.” Danny stiffened his legs until they were straight out in front of himself then stiffly turned to reach the radio. Steve glanced over and stifled a laugh. His dear, wonderful, neurotic mate amused him. There was an audible click and suddenly the strains of Bon Jovi came on, pointing a lovelorn finger at the girl who did him wrong and gave love a bad name.

“Eh? You like? It’s a cd. I got it for the trip!”

“Yeah yeah cool,” and Danny smiled and nodded but as a transport truck zoomed by grew stiff again and looked wild eyed.

“Relaaaax. Just listen to the song!” Steve said in a cajoling manner and reached over to grip Danny’s knee.

“Fuck Steve, do you mind both hands, please!!!” Danny yelled.

“Listen to the music, Danny.”

Steve watched the odometer, and when he got close to the access road for Malaekahana Beach Campground, he shut off the music (which really hadn’t calmed Danny’s nerves) so he could hear the GPS instructions. The access road was a wide 2 lane asphalt road and not heavily traveled so Danny did visibly relax and started to look around. They were chasing the light by now, and Steve really wanted to find their pull through and get things connected and leveled and blocked. He supposed the canopy could wait for the next day, but he also thought that he’d have to block the wheels, and he would rather do all of those things without using a flashlight.

Danny saw the sign, a wooden upright with the name of the campground painted on it and pointed it out to Steve who nodded. Steve carefully turned the RV and pulled smoothly into the circular area by the Office.

“Come with me to register?” Steve said to Danny and Danny nodded then slid out of his seat to wait for Steve to push the button to open the exit door. Once Steve had done that, Danny carefully walked down the metal steps and met Steve on the porch of the A line building.

“Ok, just so you know I uh called in a favor for this campsite,” Steve explained on a low voice.

“Ok which of your Seal Buddies owns this place?” Danny asked belligerently, chin out. He was not in the best of humor after enduring the trek here and his stomach was rumbling with the realization that he hadn’t eaten lunch.

“Danny,” Steve shook his head and held the screen door open so Danny could scurry in. There were shelves of groceries, souvenir t shirts, a large cooler full of sodas of every type and bottled water, and a large counter with a jolly looking man behind it. He was a native and embraced it with his Hawaiian shirt and colorful lei. Steve began to speak pidgin to him, so Danny snorted and walked back to grab a couple bottles of water. As he brought it to the counter, he heard that they had switched to English and the man behind the counter was asking Steve about his Grandfather.

Steve straightened as he always did when talking of Steven McGarrett and Danny stood back to let the moment be Steve’s and Steve’s alone. “My Grandfather is entombed in the Arizona as he fought in the battle of Pearl Harbour, in 1941.” Steve’s chin quivered once and Danny sighed and slid up beside him to take one of Steve’s hands in his own.

“It’s my pleasure and honor then to give you the campsite that’s reserved in your name, Mr. McGarrett,” the counter man said. He pulled a reservation form from a small stack of papers. “Joe White spoke highly of you and anyone who has Joe’s back is quite frankly A-OK in my book.” He circled a campsite indicated by the number 12 on a small map. “It’s a pull through, plenty of room for your rig. And you have full hook ups. Curfew is at 10 pm. We use our indoor voices then, and all fires out and watered down by midnight.”

Steve took the paper and patted his chest over his heart. “Hey thanks. I know this is on short notice but man, this is our honeymoon and I really appreciate it. “ He gave the man a five for the water and waved off the change.

“Don’t mention it. Make sure you grab a bundle of wood for your fire there. It’s stacked by the door. First night is free and it’s 5 dollars after that.”

“Thank you again. Mahalo and bless.” Steve did a small bow with his hands folded in a prayer type position.

“Of course.”

Danny took the bundle of wood gingerly and laid it beside the door as he climbed the steps to get back inside. “Can I ride back here, Steve?” 

“Well, not technically but yeah why not if only there to our site.” Steve started up the RV and then pulled it out from the circle and drove very slowly down the road, hunched over the wheel as he looked for their campsite. He glanced at the map and took the next turn on the loop and was greeted by a reflecting silver sign nailed to a tree at the entrance to a pull through concrete site. Sure enough it was 12 and Steve gave the RV a bit of gas to propel it through. He heard Danny say ‘easy’ and he hid a grin. Danny and his back seat driving. Steve ponied up the vehicle then shut off the motor. He switched the door to manual mode and pushed the button. 

“We’re here, Danny. I have to get the jacks leveled and stuff hooked up. Do you want to put the chalks under the wheels for me?”

Danny looked dubious but nodded and accepted the wedges from Steve, then carefully crawled under the RV to place the blocks. The pavement felt damp but Danny assumed that was because they were about a hundred feet from the beach. Oh good, he thought. Waves. But whether it was because the beach was sheltered or because the flow of the ocean was hampered from the shoreline, the waves were not loud.

“Whatcha doing, Babe?” Danny asked Steve, who was connecting the electricity. Water was next so Steve asked Danny to get a wrench from his toolbox, and within minutes that was set up too. Now for the propane, which Steve managed with a switch of the lever while Danny watched.

“Ok. Now. Around the corner are the bathhouses and restrooms. We do have water but I’d prefer we uh go in there instead of wasting our tank.” 

“What? But you said we have a toilet!” Danny protested.

“Yes and we can use it but sparingly.”

“Oh I see ok well how about if we just got a hotel room so I wouldn’t have to worry about how many times I used the fucking commode?” Danny began a full on rant and Steve sighed.

“Inside voices, Danny.”

“Oh look Danny, there’s a bathroom but don’t use it.” Danny was waving his arms around going full tilt now. His frustration showed on his face and Steve could tell that he was going into meltdown mode.

“Danny...Danny we cant be yelling—“ Steve said trying to grab one of Danny’s hands.

“Oh ok so sorry, so maybe I’ll just use a fucking pillow to be quiet when you’re doing me huh huh what about that?” And there were tears of frustration springing up in the corners of those blue eyes Steve loved so well.

“Hey hey hey,” Steve finally just grabbed a wiggling Danny and pulled him close. With one arm he held his struggling mate and with the other he petted Danny’s hair. “Shhhhh! You’re starving, I’m starving, and it’s been a long day. All I’m saying is we can use the washrooms to save on our tank water. That’s all.”

“Steve.” Danny wrapped his arms around his husband and pressed his face against Steve’s chest.

“Yeah baby. Let’s eat dinner ok? Have some yummy leftovers? Some cookies?”

“And wine?” Danny sniffled.

“Yes, love, wine too.”

After a delicious throw together dinner of their leftovers, Danny looked ready to nod off. It was going on 9 pm and the light had slowly left the horizon. All around were the smell of campfires and subtle voices. Danny stood up from the dinette and looked out the window by the sofa.   
“Wanna get showers then come back and veg in front of the tv?” Steve offered. Danny sighed and looked forlornly at the RV bathroom then nodded. “Yeah? Come on! I’ll shower with you if that would make you happy.”

“The only thing that would make me happy is not taking a shower in a bathhouse with strangers,” Danny muttered but went to get supplies for their excursion. Steve got them their sleep pants and tees and a laundry bag for their clothes. Danny emerged from the bathroom with a bag of his own full of towels, shower gel and shampoo.

“See this isn’t bad. I bet they keep the restrooms really clean,” Steve poked Danny in the ribs but Danny said nothing and stepped away from Steve so Steve couldn’t reach him. “Danny please,” Steve said.

“What? I’m using the bathhouse. Let’s go.”

Once inside the clean quarters, Danny did relax. He used the toilet, then brushed his teeth at the sink, heeding the sign on the mirror asking people to clean up any debris or toothpaste that they left behind in the sink.

“I’m going in,” Danny told Steve who was brushing his teeth and Steve gave him the ok sign with his free hand. Danny slipped behind the curtain and placed his shower gel and shampoo on the wire rack over the shower head. There was just a round gadget in the middle of the stall under the shower head that indicated it controlled both water temperature and flow. Danny turned it on after stripping, standing naked under the nozzle above and waited until the water temperature was good enough to start lathering up. 

He heard Steve get into the stall next to him and sighed. This wasn’t too bad. It was kind of like being at Camp Cadet when he wanted to be a policeman at 12 years old. Danny lathered up, then rinsed and went to turn the water off, after rinsing the shampoo from his hair. His hand touched something squishy, and he recoiled then realized it was a big brown hairy spider on top of the gadget. Danny screamed and just about fell out of the shower, getting tangled in the curtain while trying to get away. The spider was sliding down his leg and he kicked, terrified, and wasn’t sure if that was his own voice or it was a soprano in an opera!

Down came the curtain tearing from the rings as the water blasted out of the enclosed shower onto the floor and Danny was laying there naked in the middle of the shower section. Steve was trying to calm him down but all Danny kept doing was kicking and screaming “is it gone?”  
They had to pay the staff 50 bucks to clean up the mess and repair the shower curtain rings.  
They lay in bed. Danny had not spoken to Steve since they’d left the bathhouse after paying for the damage. Steve wasn’t sure if Danny was mad, or just scared but he’d respected Danny’s distance, letting him get into bed first, and then coming in to crawl into his own side.

“TV?” Steve said holding up the remote. Nothing. “I take that as a no.” Nothing.

Steve waited for a few more minutes then reached out to take Danny’s hand in his. Danny didn’t pull away but he was still and silent laying on his back, eyes open and memorizing the ceiling.

“You gotta admit it was kinda funny,” Steve said quietly, stroking the soft skin of Danny’s wrist.

“Ha ha.”

“Oh he speaks!” Steve said. 

“I was terrified, Steve. That fucker was huge.” Danny answered with a huff.

“Well, you squished it. A victim of an untimely shower accident,” Steve teased. He thought he saw a trace of a smile on Danny’s lips.

“Motherfucker,” Danny hissed. He turned on his side towards Steve and gripped Steve’s sleep tee with both hands. “Would you hold me?”

“Oh Danny you don’t need to ask me.” Steve happily gathered his mate in his arms and kissed the top of Danny’s damp head.

“Can we just stay inside tomorrow? I don’t wanna see any more fucking spiders.”

“I thought we could put the canopy up, then ride the Vespas I bought us into the resort town for some lunch,” Steve answered.

“Vespas? What? Where.... are they?” Danny pulled away to look up at Steve.

“There’s a big compartment under the RV. You access it by the side. I knew we couldn’t take this thing so I got us Vespas.”

“Fuck yeah,” Danny sighed.

“You ready for sleep now?” Steve rubbed Danny’s back.

“Yeah. Catch up on you know more fucking in the morning,” Danny yawned and snuggled closer to Steve, hands under Steve’s tee, stroking Steve’s warm skin.

“That’s a promise I’ll hold you to,” Steve murmured and closed his eyes.


	8. Swept Off His Feet

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What sweeps Danny off his feet? Love? Or what?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> By jawnslulluby21

Morning light filtered in through the curtains of the RV bedroom as Steve slowly opened his eyes. Danny was still cocooned against him and his warmth radiated up and into Steve, causing the taller man to thank God the AC was on in the camper. Danny was like the sun in that aspect of all things hot. Sleeping with the blonde was akin to being in a sauna—the beginning is just right but by the end you really can’t wait to get out of the heat.

Carefully so he would not wake up his partner, Steve slid out of bed and made his way to the kitchen of the RV. He pulled open a drawer and pulled out the directions/instruction manual that had come with the rented vehicle and quickly scanned the section he was looking for. Satisfied, he nodded to himself and put the booklet back, then popped in the bathroom, washed his face and hands and sauntered back to the lump in the bed. Steve crawled in bed next to Danny and peeled the blanket back (and really Danny loved his blankets even in this tropical heat!)to reveal Danny’s naked body. With gentle fingers then, Steve started to stroke Danny’s awakening cock. Danny arched his back as he felt ripples of pleasure in his groin.

“Steve.”

“Right here, Baby. Right here.”

Danny moaned and stretched his legs out as Steve massaged his cock, long fingers caressing the head and shaft, lightly scratching Danny’s fulcrum with his blunt nails. Danny turned towards Steve and captured his mouth with a deep kiss, eschewing morning breath, just wanting to get inside Steve’s open wet mouth and suck his very soul out. Steve answered with a deep kiss of his own and their tongues swayed and rubbed even as Steve gently bit Danny’s bottom lip. 

“Wanna fuck me?” Danny panted. He reached for the zippercase of lubes that was on the shelf nearest to his side of the bed. Steve didn’t acknowledge verbally but simply kept kissing Danny, then took the case from Danny and sat up and away from his mate.

“Let’s see...” Steve examined the bottles then pulled one out with a red label.

“What kind is that?” Danny asked trying to see past Steve’s big thumb on the label. Steve just smiled and popped open the cap to smell it. Danny scrabbled closer but Steve held him off with one arm while continuing to sniff. “Steve!” Danny squealed but was suddenly on his back and looking up as Steve crawled over and between Danny’s legs. Steve waggled the lube in front of Danny and licked his lips.

“Cinnamon, Baby. You know how much I love that spice!” With that, Steve attacked first one of Danny’s nipples then the other one, rolling the hard buds around in his mouth and sucking. Danny gasped and arched up watching as Steve slid down Danny’s body, mouth busy first at Danny’s shapely soft tummy then following the golden brown haired happy trail to where Danny’s dusky rose coloured cock swayed lazily upwards. 

“St-st-Steve...” Danny stammered and tried to direct Steve towards his wonderfully needy organ but Steve had another agenda.

Slowly Steve popped open the lube and poured a generous amount on his hands. The aroma of cinnamon filled their small bedroom. With one hand, he reached between Danny’s legs and found his quivering hole. Gently, Steve pushed one finger past the tight ring and into the warmth of Danny’s body. The blonde gasped and his hips shot up , his cock just brushing Steve’s mouth. With his other hand, slick with the cinnamon lube, Steve stroked Danny’s cock. Danny quivered and made those noises of need and want that always caused Steve to get harder than he had been before so he realized he should get on with it and pushed another finger inside of Danny opening him up slowly. Danny moaned and threw his leg over Steve’s shoulder, calf resting on him. When Steve added the third finger, Danny began to make those obscenely sexy noises deep in his throat that just intensified when Steve crooked his fingers and brushed Danny’s prostate.

“Steve Steve Steve oh fuck oh fuck me...”

Steve popped his fingers out eliciting a groan from his smaller partner and dumped more of the silky lube on his own stiff organ. He wasn’t sure how long he was going to last but with Danny splayed out in front of him, he was ready to test that. He pushed Danny’s legs apart and carefully lined his tip up to Danny’s stretched hole, then pushed inside. Jesus, the heat and tightness just enveloped his member, and Steve gasped then fell on Danny and pushed inside until he was fully seated.

Danny’s hands were scrabbling along Steve’s back and he was trying to wrap his legs around Steve’s torso but as Steve pushed and started a rhythm, Danny just held on. Danny’s cock was hard and leaking between their bodies and every push Steve made just caused more of the silky pre cum to soak their stomachs. But they both were close now, Steve drowning in being inside Danny, taking him, claiming him, fucking him, loving him and Danny being the recipient of all that Steve was giving.

With a shudder, Steve came, cock filling Danny with sticky warmth. Danny stilled then came suddenly too, ropes of cum shooting up his own stomach and coating Steve’s as well. They lay still joined together and Steve claimed Danny’s lips for another long kiss. Danny carded his hands through Steve’s short dark soft hair and then fluttered over Steve’s shoulders. With a grunt, Steve pulled his soft cock out of Danny and rolled off, but caught Danny in his arms so they were still laying against each other.

“Mmmmmm. Good morning.”

“Where’s my coffee?” Danny said, touching Steve’s soft skin and dark hair on Steve’s chest.

“You think you deserve room service?” Steve asked playfully, nipping at Danny’s shoulder. 

This caused his mate to bat at Steve with a flailing hand and to tuck his head against his chest.“If I have to use that damn bathhouse to get the cum out of my butt then yeah you better make me coffee,” Danny muttered.

“Good news, my love,” Steve whispered.

“What?” Danny asked sullenly.

“I checked the owner manual. When we are hooked up to water, we can use the bathroom as much as we want and it won’t affect our tank.” Steve was grinning but it was short lived because Danny stiffened and suddenly swatted Steve, at the same time pulling away and sitting up.

“What? You mean I could have had my shower HERE last night instead of in the company of a venomous huge tarantula??” He glared at Steve.

“First of all, Danny, that wasn’t a tarantula. And secondly it probably wasn’t poisonous—“

“You don’t know that!” Danny was getting wound up. “It came after me! It was on my leg, Steven, ready to bite me-“

“Danny.” Steve grabbed Danny’s flailing arms. “I’m sorry, ok? I’m sorry about the spider and the bathhouse.” Danny relaxed and regarded Steve with a squint then sighed. “So if you want to go get cleaned up, I’ll make your coffee.”

“You go first.” Danny pointed to Steve’s cock that was perking up. “Then while I’m showering you can make me breakfast.”

“I can do just that,” Steve said planting a kiss on Danny’s cheek and jumping out of bed. He pulled a pair of undies and shorts out of his clothing pile then found a tee shirt. “You just relax, Baby.”

“That’s what I’m gonna do,” Danny muttered laying back down avoiding the wet spots. The sheets smelled like sex and cinnamon so Danny reached up to grab a pillow and put it over his face. He was relieved that they could use the shower here; he didn’t want any repeat performances with the arachnid kinds. And there was a helluva lot more privacy here. He’d never thought of an RV before especially not on his honeymoon, but Steve had gone to great lengths to plan this so Danny knew he had to be a good sport.

He was drifting off to sleep when he heard the shower shut off so he sat up and gathered his own clothing—tee shirt, undies and a pair of jeans—then waited for Steve to emerge.

“Your turn,” Steve called out, standing in the door to the bedroom enveloped in a cloud aroma of shower gel. He hadn’t bothered to shave but stubble at that length looked good on him, and Danny once more caught his breath at how lucky he was to be married to this fine looking and wonderful man.

“Yep.” Danny held his clothes in front of him as Steve smirked then turned and walked to the kitchen.

Steve set about making Danny’s coffee, steaming the water then pressing the beans just right so the cup had the maximum flavors. Once that was done, he grabbed a frying pan from the drawer and coated the bottom with olive oil. A few chops of some red pepper and broccoli from the veggie bag and a quick sautée as Steve whipped up the eggs for the omelette and breakfast was coming together. From the leftovers, Steve selected some moist banana bread with pineapple in it and gave those slices a quick buttering. Once their omelettes were done, he plated them, finished setting the table and poured cream in Danny’s coffee. 

“Omg Babe!” Danny walked by Steve to get to the dinette but Steve quickly grabbed him and planted kisses up Danny’s freshly shaved neck and chin. “Come on, you animal! Want my coffee!” Danny struggled to get out of Steve’s grip, but a minnow is no match for an octopus so Danny stopped moving and let Steve nuzzle him, the kisses feeling nice on his clean skin. “Coffee coffee coffee...” Danny reached his arms out for the steaming delicious smelling cup of flavor that was on the dinette table.

“Ok, but you owe me some snuggling later on.” Steve reluctantly let go but not before he noticed the little grin on Danny’s lips.

“Well, I dunno how because that loveseat, Babe, is just about my size.” Danny plunked down on the cushions and took a long sip of his coffee. “Oh my God....”

“Good?” Steve said eagerly.

“The very best really thank you Babe.” Danny squeezed Steve’s hand while he sipped.

“You know, if you don’t wanna go into town today because it looks like it’s gonna rain,” Steve said stuffing another forkful of his omelette into his mouth, “we can just, you know, explore the campgrounds. They have hiking trails.”

“Oh maybe we’ll find a dead body huh?” Danny frowned. “Easy there, Gilbert Grape. One forkful at a time huh?”

“It’s good,I’m hungry, can’t help it,” Steve answered and Danny just shook his head.

“I dunno about the trails. If it’s gonna rain...” Danny sighed but one look at Steve’s hopeful face and he knew he was doomed. “Alright alright alright!” Danny savored the sweetness of the bread, a nice contrast with the savory omelette. “We’ll go hiking. But not really far and not without bug spray. I brought some.”

“Deal!” And Steve flashed him a mega watt smile. “These omelettes man, they’re so good.”

“It’s like eating with a toddler,” Danny sighed acting put upon but Steve ignored him and just kept eating.

“Seriously, Danny, how much of that shit are you gonna use? You’re polluting the air!” Steve coughed and waved his arms around as he watched Danny spray the Deep Woods Off all over himself.

“As much as it takes so the damn bugs won’t get me,” Danny answered. “Especially,” he looked up at Steve, “spiders.”

“Danny, I never knew you had this spider hating thing going on. I mean, I knew about your claustrophobia but man, this is different.”

“You have a tarantula crawl up your body and then tell me how much you like them, Steven!” Danny huffed and gave the can a toss towards the med box. They were under the canopy, a task that had not taken long, and they’d moved the picnic table under it to offer some shade. Steve had placed the bundle of firewood next to the fire ring.

“For the tenth time, it wasn’t a tarantula,” Steve countered. He looked around and checked his watch then looked up at the clouds. “Are you ready?”

“I suppose,” Danny shrugged. 

“Let’s go then!” Steve shouldered a small pack that had water and rope and a compass and a first aid kit and his phone. Danny followed behind, trying not to dread the upcoming activity. His normal anxiety had kicked in, and he began to worry about them getting lost, or seeing a boar or getting hurt on some god forsaken rock ridge. Still he followed along after Steve and tried to put on a cheerful face. This was their honeymoon after all.

Steve and Danny walked past the main road where it branched off and over to the woody area by the kids’ playground. They were greeted by an assortment of sturdy wooden signs each with a trail name followed by the approximate lengths. Danny saw with dread that Steve was looking at the bottom one, the Rainbow Trail with a total of 12 miles.

“Hey uh remember I had a good workout this morning,” Danny said hopefully.

“That was just a warm up.” Steve turned to Danny and pointed to the Rainbow Trail. “How bout it? Six miles up and six back? We could knock that off this afternoon.”

“Uh no ... how about the Manululu Trail a total of 3 miles?”

“Highland Trail for 5, so it is!” Steve grinned and waved a hand at Danny. Come on! Let’s go!”

“5 miles?” Danny grumbled. 

“Hey, it’s a compromise! We’ll be there and back before you know it!” Steve grabbed Danny’s hand and pulled him towards the wide well marked trail. 

“Steven, stop. I’m coming.” Danny wrestled his hand away and walked sullenly by Steve. It was going to be a long afternoon.

Surprisingly enough, though, Danny found the trail easy going. It led up the side of the hill (mountain?) easily and the trail was easy to see and follow. Flowers of all kinds bordered the path and although there were plenty of bees, the insects kept to themselves as they pollinated. 

“We’ll get a great view up here,” Steve said, already quite ahead of Danny with those giraffe legs. 

“Yeah, yeah, I’m coming,” Danny grumped. He heard thunder in the distance and paused. “Hey Steve! Did you hear that?”

“Yeah Danny, but we have time. Come on,almost there!” Steve climbed up the ever increasingly steep path. This part, Danny didn’t like. He paused and looked over the valley watching the dark clouds form.

“Steve!!”  
“Danny come on! Wow this view! Woo!”

Danny sighed and pulled himself up to the summit where Steve was standing. There was a flat area ringed with big rocks, and Steve was standing on one side looking out over the valley.  
“Gotta admit this is a helluva view, Danny!” Steve said happily.

“Ok yes, it’s very beautiful, but I’m hot and sweaty, and despite the promises of Deep Woods Off, I have sand flies and black bugs sailing around my face and I hear thunder, so let’s go.” Danny started back on the steepest part of the trail.

“Ok Babe just gonna shoot some photos then I’m coming!”

“Yeah yeah whatever,” Danny mumbled. He thought about the Vespas and mentally noted that a trip to town on those might have been more fun than climbing the mountain like Maria Von Trapp. Danny felt the first few drops of rain on him, and then suddenly it was a gusher of a storm! “Steve! Come on!” He yelled out and thought he saw a familiar figure through the deluge of rain. 

“Yeah buddy I’m coming!”

Danny turned and hurried down the now slippery muddy path, trying to maintain even footing on the sides where the water was not ponding. There was a downhill section coming up and he picked his way to the side of the path where it joined another path that had led upwards, all the while blinking his eyes against the hard downpour. His clothes were soaked and acted like a second skin. He could barely see a foot in front of himself because of the sheets of rain.  
Suddenly he heard a roar. It wasn’t like a lion or tiger or boar but it was loud and rumbling and a bit scary. Danny attempted to go faster but all at once he was knocked off his feet by a blast of hard moving fast water!

He rode the top of it like a surfer, legs half immersed in the swirling moving mess and arms akimbo trying to keep his balance. He heard Steve faintly call his name, then the water overtook him, and he was propelled hard and fast down the side of the mountain. 

Steve reached the point where the paths converged, and saw the stream of water that was considerably less than it had been thanks to the rain easing up. Danny’s boot lay on the side of the path, half encased in mud and Steve grabbed that then scrambled down the hillside following the water.

“Danny!!! Danny!!” Oh God, no, it was his fault, it was all his fault, they never should have come hiking, never should have done this, should have stayed in the RV, oh my God what if Danny had been thrown off the side of the mountain?

“Steve??? Down here!”

“Geezus Danny!!!” Steve fairly galloped as he made his way down the path which had now just a trickle of water running down it.

“Yeah I’m over here.”

Steve stopped and looked at his mate. Danny had ridden the water stream all the way down to the signs at the campground. He sat in a huge puddle of water, which was now steaming around him due to the hot sun coming out. He was covered in mud, and had no shirt on but otherwise looked just fine.

“Oh my God, are you ok?” Steve traipsed through the mud and took hold of one of Danny’s hands. The mud threatened to hold tightly as Steve pulled, but it let go with a mighty squelching sound as Danny became upright. Danny batted Steve’s hands away.

“Can we just uh go back to the RV? Steven? Huh?”

“Are you sure you’re ok?” Steve said wanting to check Danny over but the blonde began to walk back towards the main road.

“I’m good. I’m fine. I’ve just been nearly killed by a fucking landslide or water slide but I’m fine! Put this right up there with tsunamis and jellyfish and boring beetles because this island HATES me!!”

Danny... hey...” Steve ran after him and tried to take Danny’s hand. “I’m sorry ok? I never meant for that to happen.”

“Oh you didn’t plan it no ... I get that... but something here hates me! First the tarantula—“

“—not a tarantula”

“Then a mudslide. Perfect. And I don’t know where my shoes are!” Danny punctuated that with hands thrown up in the air.

“I’m sorry,” Steve said. “I really and truly am sorry.”

“I want a hot shower and I dunno some whiskey or ...or ...or wine, a whole bottle to myself so I can forget what happened to me!!!!”

“I’ll make you anything you like and we can eat after your shower,” Steve offered. 

“I’m not talking to you.” Danny stripped off his pants in front of the RV and waited for Steve to unlock the door.

“Danny-“

“Quiet.” And with that Danny was inside the RV and slammed the screen door.

Steve looked at the pile of firewood. Making a fire might make Danny happy. They could eat s’mores and Steve could fix Danny some peach and Prosecco, both of which he’d brought along. He knew Danny was mad but hoped that after a shower he would look at it as an adventure. Oh his darling boy. Steve shook his head and tried to hide a smile. It was kind of apparent that Hawaii in general wanted to snap back at Danny for his low opinion of the state. But still, the last thing Steve wanted to see is Danny getting hurt, and he could have had a very different result in that mudslide.

Gathering the tinder for the fire, Steve listened for any sound that Danny was coming back out. He supposed after he got the fire going he would go inside to see what was up, hoping that it wouldn’t be a frosty reception. He sincerely wanted Danny to have a good time on their honeymoon, but this was turning into a complete shitstorm. 

As Steve lit the fire and let it blaze to catch on to the wood, he heard the door open and the sound of a heavy wet bag being dropped on the picnic table. Glancing over his shoulder he saw Danny was standing beside the bench with his arms tightly crossed around himself.

“Hey,” Steve said softly, approaching Danny like he would a wounded animal. Steve even held his hand out in front of himself. Danny looked up and Steve could see the tears glistening in those beautiful aqua blue eyes. “Come here.” And Steve opened his arms and Danny fell against him holding Steve tightly and burying his face against Steve, his breath hitching as he began to sob in earnest now. “Shhhhh it’s ok.” Steve rubbed Danny’s back, the tee shirt material soft under his hands, and Danny’s muscles moving in time to his crying. “It was scary huh?” Danny nodded. “I’m so happy you’re ok. I’m so happy you’re good.”

“Pants and towels in the bag there. I’ll pay for it,” Danny muttered.

“Shhhhh it’s fine. Nobody is paying for anything.” Steve gently rocked Danny back and forth as they stood there then planted little kisses all around Danny’s face. “Thought I’d do some rib meat and rice in foil on the fire and we can have cakes and s’mores for dinner. And some cocktails.”

“Cocktails?” Danny muttered sniffling. 

“Peach and Prosecco,” Steve said.

“Oh Um ok.” Danny pulled away and wiped at his face. “Ugh I’m a mess.”

“Never. You’re always my beautiful boy,” Steve said kissing Danny’s lips, opening his mouth with some coaxing. Danny sighed and answered the kiss with his own.

“Ahem.”

Both men broke apart and out of force of habit reached for their pistols but neither was wearing his holster. They had nothing to worry about though because the man who had checked them in stood respectfully by the signpost indicating the number of their campsite.  
“I don’t mean to bother you but which one of you did the Mother Nature water slide?” He said.

“Danny um got caught in the torrent,” Steve said. 

“But I’m ok. It was just... scary.”

“I imagine it was. One of our campers on Circle 10 said she saw you gents out there, you,” he pointed to Steve, “came down the path that’s marked off of pedestrian traffic.”

“Sorry. Didn’t see any signs. And I was just following Danny. I had to see whether or not he was hurt. Or anything.” Steve held on tighter to Danny and kissed the smaller man’s forehead.

“Well, we have rules and regulations and it was reported that you walked on the ‘no walking’ area, where the new native plants are blooming.”

“Oh my God,” Danny muttered and pulled away from Steve. “Look, Ranger Rick, excuse us if we happened to be almost KILLED by a mudslide!! Now I’m sure my husband did not willingly tramp on any new sprouts in his assistance to me at the bottom of the trails!! And if he did he did not know about it!’ Danny yelled.

The Ranger was nonplussed. “Weren’t you 2 behind the shenanigans in the shower room last night?” His eyes narrowed.

“Yes,” Steve admitted.”But we paid for the cleanup.”

Danny was now pacing, his arms moving as he spoke. “Maybe if there had not been a poisonous tarantula living in the bathhouse we wouldn’t have made a mess but as it was I was nearly bitten!”

“It was a brown wolf spider. More afraid of you than you of it,” the Ranger countered. He held out a small book and began to write in it.

“What’s that?” Steve asked.

“It’s a warning. After two we kick you out.” The Ranger grandly handed Steve the top copy of the ticket and looked smug. “Have a good rest of the day gentlemen.”

“And a merry fuck you too,” Danny muttered.

“I can’t believe this,” Steve said. He walked over to the fire and threw the paper into the flames. “Fuck him. Let’s get dinner.”

“And get drunk,” Danny added.

“Sounds perfect.”

Dinner was tasty, the rib meat and rice blending well with the sauce and veggies Steve had chopped up. They’d cooked the packets on the grill above the fire, and everything was so good that both men finished up all of the food in their individual meals. As promised, Steve had made them cocktails and by the third one, they were getting drowsy as they sat in front of the fire. Danny was starting to feel the physical effects of riding down a mountainside on a volley of water, so he sat close to Steve in their camp chairs and listened for anything out of the ordinary, but the night was quiet punctuated by an occasional conversation when people walked by.

‘This is truly a pretty place,” Steve said looking up at the stars that lay like a blanket in the night sky. 

“Yeah it truly is, Babe,” Danny answered. He reached over and took Steve’s hand in his and squeezed. “I love you. Thanks for making this exciting.”

“Yeah? You’re not mad?”

It might have been the alcohol talking, or the late hour or the fact that he’d stared death in the face and didn’t back down, but Danny just exhaled and looked up in the sky, following Steve’s gaze, “I love you. And I’d do whatever it takes to make you happy.”

Steve digested this a moment then stood, went inside and unlocked the door. He walked over to where a 2 gallon water holder container sat. He dumped this water on the fire insuring that it would go out, and it hissed as the coals turned grey with water. He then put the jug down and held out his hand.

“Let me show you how much I love you, Danny” Steve said hoarsely. Danny said nothing but grabbed Steve’s hand and after turning off the strand of twinkle lights on the canopy, they walked inside the RV and shut and locked the door behind them.


	9. Catching a Case

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There was a murder but where is the corpse?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> More from jawnslulluby21

Steve wasn’t sure how long he’d been awake; he didn’t want to look at his wrist with his watch and upend his sleeping mate who was curled against him. Danny one hand around his shoulder, and the other against his chest fingers right by his heart. Yesterday’s unfortunate event had made Steve all the more appreciative of Danny, and he’d tried to convey that in words and actions when they had made love that night. Danny had been more needy than usual, asking Steve to tell him that he loved him multiple times. And Steve had studied every inch of Danny, even the blonde’s ticklish toes, to insure that there were no tell tale injuries from the mudscape incident. There weren’t any, but that didn’t mean that bruises wouldn’t develop overnight. Steve was grateful and thanking God that Danny wasn’t hurt or worse.  
Light was beginning to filter into the bedroom windows through the curtains, and Steve yawned and stroked Danny’s soft hair. Without product, his sun streaked strands fell down around his face, such a different look than when he wore it slicked back with American Crew Medium Hold. Danny grunted and sniffled, shifting so his arm was back at his side and not around Steve’s shoulder, and Steve gently cradled the smaller man tightly to him, loving the feel of Danny’s naked body next to his own nakedness.

“Steve?” Danny whispered.

Surprised, Steve stilled his petting and moved a few inches away from his lover. “Yeah Babe?”

“M’hungry.”

Steve grinned. “Whatcha want?”

“Coffee an.... and ... somethin’ sweet...” Danny yawned and pulled the blanket up around himself.

“Ok. You lay here. I’ll be right back.”

“M’okay.” Danny sniffled and burrowed further into the blankets.

Steve rose, tall, lithe and graceful. He stretched and felt his muscles in his back complain, but ignored the pull and grabbed a pair of sweat pants off the floor where he’d discarded them the night before, and pulled them on. A quick trip to the bathroom to take care of business, and to wash off at least some of the combined love making residue from his body, and Steve was now ready to make some breakfast for both of them. He turned on the kitchen light and decided spontaneously to throw a load of sheets into the washer so he did just that, adding some tee shirts and undies to the load. Satisfied that that chore was done, Steve turned his attention to breakfast.

He made Danny’s coffee first, smiling because he had truly gifted his lover with something wonderful. Danny loved the taste of the strong Kona beans done this way and it was Steve’s pleasure to make Danny happy even if it was only coffee.

Once Steve had a steaming cup all made up, he laid out an assortment of their leftover cakes and assorted breads on a big plate, and then added some cut up fruit to the side. These he put on a tray along with Danny’s coffee and 2 of the peach and Prosecco drinks he’d stirred up. Satisfied with his handiwork, Steve grinned and carried the tray back to the bedroom where he saw Danny sitting up, blankets in a pool around his waist and his hair mussed up like he’d just had sex.

Steve stopped and stared, so much love in his heart for this short irascible man who had staked an irreversible claim to his life. Danny cocked his head. “What? Gimmee coffee!” Danny reached out his hands, and Steve bent down with the tray and let Danny have the mug of coffee and cream. Carefully Steve set the tray down and got into bed, one hand balancing the tray so nothing would spill.

“Thank you, Steve,” Danny said as he looked the tray over and suddenly set down his coffee on the small nightstand in favor of the cocktails. “Oh yum!”

“Thought you’d like that,” Steve laughed. They clinked the glasses together and drank them down with a swallow then Danny began to choose what he wanted to eat.

“Mmmmm these cream puff things... so good!” Steve opened his mouth and Danny popped in the other half of his pastry, and watched fondly as Steve enjoyed the delicacy then Steve pulled Danny’s hand with sticky fingers towards his mouth and laved his tongue all over the strong digits. “You’re unbelievable,” Danny whispered, eyes shiny with unspoken love.

“And you are tasty,” Steve countered. It was his turn to pick up the confections and he did, choosing one bursting with creme. This he bit, letting the goo bathe his own fingers then waved it in front of Danny who opened his mouth and allowed Steve to put it on his tongue, finishing up his task by licking the sweet off of Steve’s fingers. It was undeniably sexy and hot and Steve felt his cock stiffen with interest.

“Another?” Danny whispered, waving the dessert in front of Steve’s mouth and giggling.

“I’m always up for another,” Steve answered and opened his mouth—

BANG BANG BANG!!!!

“Geezus who is fucking knocking....” Steve grabbed a shirt from the shelf by the bed as well as his revolver and padded out towards the door, not reaching it before another series of knocks. He heard Danny swearing and scrambling to get dressed, and he hesitated for a moment thinking perhaps he should allow his mate to accompany him to the door in case there was trouble. Sure enough, Danny was next to him also brandishing his weapon although he was shirtless. He nodded at Steve to open the door and Steve unlocked it, slid the chain and opened the door.

Two men stood outside, both dressed in the brown and green of Ranger wear. One wore a hat that had ‘National Park Services’ imprinted on it and the other was holding a folder of some kind.

“Do you want to see my camping permit?” Steve asked, not inviting them inside. Clearly they could see he held his gun at his side, just in case they wanted trouble.

“Steve McGarrett? Commander McGarrett?” The one with the hat said.

“What do they want?” Danny asked but Steve put up a hand to shush his partner.

“Yes. Who’s asking?” Steve answered.

“Tell them to fuck off!” Danny said quite loudly.

“I’m Hans Koehler from the Park Services. This is Winston McBride also from the Park Services. May we talk to you for just a moment?” Hat man took a step towards the RV steps.

“If this is about the fucking ticket,” Danny yelled, “you can take it and shove it up your ass! I almost died!”

Steve turned with a frown and pointed to the couch and mouthed the word ‘sit.’ Danny put his hands on his hips but when Steve pointed again this time impatiently, Danny reluctantly walked over and sat down though he was not happy.

“Sorry about that,” Steve said. He stepped out of the way while holding open the screen door to allow Hans and Winston to enter the motor home. They nodded at Danny and took a seat at the dinette. “I need to see some ID first before you get started.”

“Of course,” Hans said and both men got out their ID for Steve to examine. Satisfied that they were not fake, Steve handed them back then leaned against the opposite counter. “What’s the problem?”

“We’d like your input on this as our hands are tied,” Hans opened the folder and Steve saw that there was a photo, Forensic style, of a man who was obviously dead as there were two distinct bullet wounds in his chest.

Danny had come over and laid his gun down on the counter beside Steve’s, interest piqued in the photos. “Who was he?” Steve asked, moving the photo so he and Danny could get a better look.

“That’s the thing. We don’t know. His fingerprints were burnt off and there was no matches for dental or DNA. He’s currently a John Doe.” Winston shrugged. “We had local police involved but they have no clue either. We were hoping for some um expertise from you...” his voice trailed off.

“Where’d you find him and how long ago?” Danny asked. The two Rangers looked at him and then over at Steve.

“This is Detective Danny Williams, part of 50 too. And my mate. We’re on our honeymoon,” Steve explained.

“Oh no. Oh I’m sorry,” Hans began but Steve waved off the apology.

“No need. Just that Danny’s my team too. So, please answer his questions.”

“Thanks Babe.” Danny flashed a smile at Steve.

“No worries.”

“His body was found at the summit of the Rainbow Hiking Trail last week. A family found his body when they arrived there after hiking the trail,” Winston explained.

“Did they see or hear anything? Any shots? Anything like that?” Steve said.

“No. Nothing.” Hans handed the folder to Danny who started to go through it reading the crime report. “Thing is, nothing like that has ever happened here. And now we have a dead man nobody knows and the possibility of murder at our sleepy little park here,” Winston said.

“Yeah, I can see where that might be a problem,” Steve nodded. “You want us to go talk to someone?”

“Well, I see you aren’t pulling a car. We could provide you with a Jeep if you wanted to go talk to the ME at the morgue,” Hans said eagerly.

“Yeah?” Steve was considering the options. Danny was intent, seemingly all in on the report and the 2 fellows looked so... earnest that Steve couldn’t really say no. He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. “Whatcha think, Danno?” He asked his mate.

“Well....” Danny looked up and gaged Steve’s body language and expression, all of which screamed ‘oh yeah.’ “It wouldn’t hurt to take a look I guess.”

“Great! I’ll bring the Jeep over say in... an hour?” Hans got up and so did Winston then, Danny having moved to the couch with the folder.

“Make it an hour and a half and you have a deal,” Steve said. He ushered the 2 out then slammed the door and locked it. Turning his attention towards Danny who was looking up from the folder, Steve jerked his head back towards the bedroom and punctuated that by a whispered ‘now’. Danny grinned, dropped the folder and did as he was told, pulling his pants down as he walked, Steve so close behind him Danny could feel his breath on his neck.

Seaburn, the resort town near the campground, was exactly what one might think of when that term was used. There was a Main Street with various shops—souvenir shops, surf shops, athletic clothing and swim apparel shops, even a bookstore! A Pizza Hut stood on one end of town and nearby a Walkin’ Taco place had a moveable sign in front promising ‘3 tacos for a dollar’. Danny read the sign and wondered just exactly what quality of taco you’d receive for that price. Also, there were the usual small restaurants with seafood and Loco Moco as their main courses as well as a few florist shops advertising handmade leis.

“This place is swinging, Babe,” Danny murmured. Steve nodded and indicated the police station with a head jerk.

“The ME is in the basement,” Steve said.

“Of course he is,” Danny answered. He waited while Steve parked the Jeep in one of the diagonal spots and then opened his door to jump out. The vehicle was not built for comfort.

“Ok so we go inside and take a right to the stairs and just go down.” Steve walked beside Danny and reached out his hand to hold. “You sure you’re ok with this?”

Danny nodded. “They seem like good peeps. Let’s just do this.”

“Plus it’s a mystery.”

“Well there’s that, too,” Danny shrugged in agreement as Steve opened one side of the glass doors and let Danny go first. ”plus...” Danny grinned wickedly,” maybe they will tear up that ticket and we can just have a clean slate.”

“Oh does that mean you kind of like this camping bit?” Steve wrapped an arm around Danny’s waist and gave the smaller man a quick hug.

“It has its’ perks,” Danny giggled, thinking of the hot quickie they had had before getting cleaned up to come into town. “And you know, you’re never happy until there’s a dead body involved.”

“Hey, you could have said no,” Steve countered. They were loping down the stairs now heading to the ME.

“And break your heart?” Danny smarted back and snickered. They found the office, because hey it was the only office down there, and pressed the buzzer.

After 30 seconds or so, the door was opened by a short bald man with readers around his neck held by a jeweled lanyard. He was Danny’s height though portly as he sported a belly. “50?” He asked suspiciously looking around them as if expecting a militia.

“Yes. I’m Commander Steve McGarrett and this is my partner Detective Danny Williams. Hans and Winston sent us.” Steve waited as the little man held the door open for them and then shut it with a resounding bang that caused Danny to jump.

“Can I see your ID please?” He then asked standing in front of them and crossing his arms in front of him.

“Uh I’m pretty sure that’s not necessary,” Danny mumbled but pulled out his badge as did Steve. The ME examined them closely and then let them pass into the morgue. The morgue. If you could call it that.

The room was large, with a low hanging ceiling and tiled floor and a row of stainless steel ‘coffin drawers’ on one side. On the other side was a work bench and table with the usual instruments for autopsies. Danny picked up a bottle marked formaldehyde and looked at it.  
“Put that down!” The ME snatched it out of the Detective’s hands and put it back on the shelf.

“Well you know us. Just who exactly are you?” Steve said.

“Me? Oh M. E.”He laughed.Steve just gave him one of his 1000 yard stares and his mirth dissolved. “Well I’m Dr. Reuben Kendricks.”

“Nice to meet you. Care to tell us about the John Doe from a week ago? The one who was found on the Rainbow Trail?” Steve added though he was fairly sure he didn’t have to elaborate.

“Oh? Oh yes. Cause of death 2 gunshot wounds, one piercing his heart, the other lodged in his rib cage..”

“Uh we need you to dig the bullets out Please.” Steve raised his eyebrows and waited.

“Nobody said anything about that,” Kendricks said rather defensively.

“Uh well I hate to rain on your small town parade but that’s how it is done typically. We need the bullets to identify the gun used to kill him.” Danny waited then waved his hand to mean that the ME get to it.

“Our own police didn’t ask me to do that,” was the sullen reply.

“Doctor, we need those bullets. Please.” Steve said still with his eyebrows raised.

“Oh I suppose but it’s gonna take me a little while to dig them out,” he groused, walking towards the steel doors in the wall unit.

“Well uh our ME usually cuts the chest open and weighs the organs so if you did do a proper autopsy then you would have found the bullets,” Danny retorted.

“Danny...” Steve said quietly.

Kendricks turned, round face and bald head turning red. He shook his finger at Danny. “I don’t like you.”

“I’m sad,” Danny shrugged.

“Please Dr. Kendricks, if you’d just retrieve the bullets we would appreciate it.” Steve managed a smile and Dr. Kendricks glared once more at Danny then set about unlocking the latch to one of the doors. Once unlocked, he opened up the door and slid the tray out.

There was no body.

“What the...” Dr. Kendricks turned another shade of red and it was either because he was embarrassed or puzzled, Steve and Danny could not tell which. “He was here... he was right here!!”

“Maybe you put him in another cabinet. Why don’t you check them all?” Steve suggested.

“Well I will but I know he was here in this one...”

Ten minutes later and all trays checked, they were no closer to finding the body than they were before. Kendricks was sweating profusely, and mopping his head with a handkerchief that he kept shoving in and pulling out of his pocket.

“Who else has access to the Morgue?” Steve said, regretting grabbing the door handles and touching everything.

“Me, I suppose some of the police though they don’t usually ever come down here.”

“Do you have security cams here?” Danny looked up at the ceiling.

“Security? No, I do not! They trust me!!” Dr. Kendricks practically had his pointing finger up Danny’s nose and to his credit, Danny simply pushed the man’s hand away.

“It’s not a matter of trust. We don’t think you ran off with the body. Just saying a security system would have made it easy to see what happened.” Danny patted Kendricks’ shoulder.

“Look, do you have to log people in? Like do you have a book that they sign into when they come here?” Steve suggested.

“No but...” Kendricks perked up. “I CAN tell you that I wasn’t here much of the day yesterday because I had a suicide to attend to. Nice girl. 22. Tsk so sad,”

“Very sorry for your loss, but do you know of anyone who might have come down here? While you were gone?” Steve pressed. This was getting frustrating.

“Well like I said I couldn’t but Misty sure can! She sits in the reception area up there and misses nothing,” he pretended to have laser focus then cackled.

“Misty,” Danny mumbled.

“Don’t,” Steve said under his breath knowing where Danny’s thoughts were leading.

“Play Misty for me,” Danny giggled and Steve poked him, hard. While Danny was rubbing his side, Steve got right in front of Kendricks.

“Will she be here tomorrow so we can talk to her?” Steve said.

“Oh sure she’s a working girl—“

And at that Danny excused himself to walk over to the rows of freezers and cover his mouth to hide the giggles.

Kendricks just looked at Danny and then turned back to Steve. “So yes I can introduce you. Say about 9am?”

“Nine it is.” Steve sighed. “Come on Detective Williams. Time to call an early night. We have work to do tomorrow.”

“Misty...” Danny whispered still giggling. Steve pushed him out the door then grabbed his shoulders and kissed him, hard. Danny was so shocked that he didn’t immediately react but then met the kiss with his own tongue and lips and Steve pulled his mate to him, pressing all of the good parts in just the right way.

“Wanna know what I’m gonna do to you, Daniel?” Steve whispered, breath teasing and hot on the outer shell of Danny’s ear.

“You’re gonna buy me Loco Moco from that one stand and then you’re gonna make me some peach and Prosecco. After those you’re gonna fuck me til I can’t walk,” Danny answered with a saucy grin.

“Loco... where’d you see that?” Steve asked puzzled.

“On the way into town. Gotta admit it sounds delish.”

“Yeah it does somehow,” Steve nodded slowly. By now they were up the stairs and out the doors walking to the Jeep. “Who steals a corpse??? Seriously??? Really??”

“Weird.” Danny shook his head. As they got in to the Jeep, Steve heard Danny giggle again.  
“Misty.”

Steve shook his head and turned the Jeep on to head towards the fast food stand to feed the love of his life and make him happy.


	10. Play Misty for Murder

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It all started with a bizarre sound....and went downhill from there!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Jawnslulluby21 and I co-brainstormed on this one.

Something woke Danny up. It wasn’t fair because he should still be sleeping, content in his lover’s arms, but something... a noise? A weird sound?...had pulled him from dreamland.  
Steve was spooning him, his warm body tucked neatly against Danny’s, bed the great equalizer as far as their heights. His mate’s breathing was slow and steady, breath warm against Danny’s neck. Danny relaxed into the rhythm. 

If anyone had told Danny a week ago that he’d be camping with Steve in an RV for their honeymoon, the blonde would have laughed and said no way. Danny’s aversion to all things nature and the great outdoors aside, he hated the thought of camping and being on a plot of land with other people, no matter how divided the sites were. And as far as insects and eating outside and crawly things, that was also a huge no way. Danny was a city boy who preferred skyscrapers and honking horns and dry pavement and convenience stores. 

This RV thing though... it was different. There was a nice soft bed, a modern kitchen, electricity, a private bathroom (after the first night’s debacle), AC, and running water whenever he wanted it. Hell, they’d even managed to do two loads of laundry so far insuring clean sheets to mess up again. And Steve, well, Steve was happy flitting around like lord of the manor, cooking for Danny and keeping the coffee coming. It was a compromise, Danny decided, snuggling ever closer to Steve. He was just about ready to drift off when he heard the noise again. It was akin to a shriek! 

“Steve,” Danny whispered, poking Steve with an elbow.

“Huh? Wha?” Steve moved away and stretched, then grew rigid as he too heard the noise that woke Danny up. “Stay here.” Steve rose like a panther, all lithe body and muscles, naked except for his tats. 

“No way.” Danny rolled out of bed on the other side and both men primed their revolvers, each awake and on guard.

“Hear that?” Steve whispered.

“Yeah! What is it?” Danny put a hand on Steve’s shoulder as they crept to the door of the motor home, not turning on any lights but being able to see well enough because of the moonlight through the windows with the curtains open. “God it’s really loud,” Danny muttered. “And it almost hurts my ears.”

“All I can think of is that someone is whistling at us to annoy us.” Steve put an arm behind him to indicate where he wanted Danny to wait, then reached for the light switch by the door that controlled the flood lights at the side. He flipped it up and unlocked the door, heading out with gun drawn in front of him.

“5 0 on your knees!” Steve shouted. Danny burst out behind him also with his gun up. “Oh my God.” Steve shook his head, lowering his revolver.

“Fuck. What is it?”

“It’s a fucking coqui frog... looks like there’s several!” Steve started to laugh and his arm with the gun relaxed so the firearm was by his thigh. 

“Those are making that... that noise?” Danny asked incredulously, watching one of the four frogs hop off the table and into the darkness.

“I guess so. Jesus. I really thought—“

“Yeah me too,” Danny said. The two men looked at each other and began to giggle then laugh. By the time they were back inside and walking back to their bedroom, the laughter had turned to uncontrollable gasps and whoops.

Danny laid his gun down on the shelf next to his side of the bed and stretched. He watched with lazy interest as Steve also put his gun away and then climbed into bed. 

“Up for some 2 am madness?” Danny asked softly, running one hand up Steve’s leg.

“You offering?” Steve answered, reaching for Danny’s hand and kissing it, then rolling closer to the smaller man.

Danny said nothing in response but simply pulled Steve down to passionately kiss his mate’s lips. It was wet and sloppy but the sheer heat and desire was conveyed and Steve reached up and carded his hands through Danny’s messy soft hair, loving the satiny feeling of the strands beneath his hands. Steve was already hard and he felt Danny tremble with desire. Oh this lovemaking between them was so beautiful and filling. Steve felt like he was falling without a net and as Danny’s hands stroked Steve’s cock, Steve moaned and leaned into the kiss and just let Danny do what he wanted to do.

“Fucking coqui frog... whoever brought those from China, or wherever, ought to get locked in a room with a thousand of them, “Danny muttered. He had woken up in a mood, one that was signaled by lots of frowning and being cross just because he could. He’d made his own coffee while Steve was showering and it didn’t quite taste as good as when Steve did it, so he glared at the cup and added more milk. What also didn’t help was the lack of sleep since both of them had indulged in some sexual hijinx until nearly 5 am, the alarm waking them both at 7:30 so they could get to the police department in town by 9:00 am.  
“Hey Babe.” Steve walked down the hallway with the sheets in his hands. Danny opened the door to the washer and Steve deposited them inside then closed the door and turned back towards Danny. “Breakfast?”

“I don’t care,” came the sullen retort. Danny sighed and sat at the dinette with his coffee cursing every amphibian on the Big Island.

“How about French toast? Hmmm?” Steve got out the skillet and grabbed the bread. He looked over at Danny who shrugged. “Aw come on, Danny, don’t be like this.”

“Like what exactly?” Danny’s frown deepened, determined to make Steve the recipient of his bad mood.

“All grumpy and crabby. It’s our honeymoon!” Steve cajoled, cracking a couple of eggs and beating them with a fork. He added spices—vanilla, cinnamon and a pinch of ginger— to the mixture, checked to see if the skillet was hot, then drenched the bread pieces in the liquid.

“Some honeymoon. I got attacked by a spider, almost killed in a mudslide, and now we are investigating a murder because you are never happy unless there’s a body.” Danny crossed his arms in front of his chest.

“And as I recall, you wanted to investigate it just like me,” Steve said. He was starting to get irritated, his warm and fuzzy feeling from earlier vanishing. 

“Why was there a dead body here anyways?” Danny said, voice rising. “We could have gone to a resort in .. I dunno France or something. We could have gone to LA... or New Orleans ... but noooo, I get stuck in a metal box on wheels, and pressed into service by park rangers who don’t care! This camping sucks.” Danny finished. 

Steve stopped flipping the toast and grabbed a plate from the cupboard. He placed the toast on the plate turned off the burner and practically threw it on the counter beside him. He poured some syrup over the pieces then cut off a huge bite and stuffed it in his mouth, ignoring Danny.

Danny watched him, wondering if Steve was going to make breakfast for him too but it was apparent that Steve was not going to especially since Steve finished his meal in record time, and rinsed the plate and the skillet. Steve then went back down the hall to the bathroom where Danny heard him brushing his teeth.

“Well fuck you too,” Danny muttered and threw out the rest of his coffee not caring how much of the expensive beans he was wasting and sauntered to the bedroom. He put his gun in his holster and waited until Steve was out of the bathroom before he went in to take a leak and brush his teeth.

Steve ignored Danny and simply went to the front of the RV. After Danny got done taking care of business, the blonde walked up to the door and unlocked it, then slid the safety chain aside. Danny walked outside, breathing in the heat and humidity of the day as compared to the chill of the RV AC. Steve followed, locking the RV door and jumping easily into the driver seat of the Jeep not bothering to open the vehicle door. Danny sat in the passenger seat making sure his body was angled away from Steve and stared intently out at the landscape. They reached the campground exit and Steve made a smooth right turn leading to Seaburn and the police station.

About 5 minutes into the trip, Steve cleared his throat. “Look I’m sorry Ok!? I’m sorry you’re having a miserable fucking time and we are committed to this case. As soon as we solve it, we’ll pack up and go back home.” Steve started straight ahead. He really didn’t want to fight with Danny but at this point he was tired of being invested in the camping idea. The sooner it was over the better.

“Ok.” Danny nodded.

Steve tried not to react. He had no idea Danny was so miserable and Steve felt like a total failure. What he thought would be fun had turned into a giant shitshow. Ok, so they’d wrap this case, then leave and go home. Steve would lose his deposit on the RV but Danny would be happy, so there was that. Danny would get what he wanted. End of story. 

They cruised into town and Steve parked in one of the spaces. There was a police cruiser, one of the older Impala models in black with white accents parked next to them. Steve didn’t bother looking at Danny but simply got out and started up the steps. When he reached the top and went to open the door, he looked back expecting to see his mate but Danny was still in the Jeep trying to open the door to get out. 

“Unlock it!” Steve called. This prompted an impatient face from Danny who continued to try to open the door. “Climb over!”

“Yeah, that’s fucking great,” Danny said struggling to get his leg up far enough to swing it over the door. His height, however, was against him.

“Oh Jesus.” Steve loped down the steps and over to where Danny was trying to exit the vehicle. Steve lifted Danny up from under his arms and Danny raised his legs to clear the Jeep’s door. 

“Thanks,” Danny said, sighing and adjusting his jeans after Steve had placed him on the ground.

“Yep,” Steve said popping the ‘p’ and ran up the steps. He heard Danny behind him and Steve held the door, but Danny paused and with a flourish of his hands, indicated Steve go first.

“After you.”

“You’re such a baby,” Steve murmured loud enough for Danny to hear it.

“Whoa! Excuse me, what?” Danny stopped just inside the door, jaw jutted out, stance like a little prizefighter.

“You heard me. You’re a baby. Now come on let’s find Misty.”

Before Danny could respond, they both froze when they heard a distinctive male voice pitched to a female’s range from the right side of the room.

“Can I help you boys?”

Steve and Danny looked at each other, and Steve shrugged then walked over to a wooden desk that was perched beside the main staircase. Danny trailed in his wake.

“Yes you can. Are you by any chance... Misty?” Steve said batting his long lashed eyelids. Danny looked at him, now pissed that Steve was flirting.

“That I am, handsome. You must be the boys from the big city. 5-0, right?” Misty stood and she had to be more than 6 feet tall. She was a rather magnificent specimen of boy being girl with her very natural looking, shoulder length bob wig and her subtle makeup. She had adorned her neck with a scarf and was wearing a dark green long sleeved simple dress and black flats.

“Yes, I’m Commander Steve McGarrett and this is Detective Danny Williams. We’re here to investigate the John Doe murder though it seems someone stole a body.”

“Well, I can assure you that I didn’t see any one out of the usual come or go yesterday. Just the usual assortment of strong, able bodied police officers and Reuben.” She had assumed a position on the desk and had crossed one long shapely leg over the other. Her attention seemed to be on Steve.

“Are you sure you saw nobody unusual or anyone you didn’t know?” Steve asked again. Her gaze never left Steve. 

“Nobody unusual. I’d surely remember.”

“Well, the body is missing and we need to know who took it,” Danny said gruffly. She ignored him; instead, she reached out to place her hand, palm down, against Steve’s chest.

“Missing bodies huh? Maybe I should ask you to guard mine,” Misty purred.

“Oh for...” Danny turned and walked away in a small circle. “Has there been anyone new or unknown around here or in the Morgue at any time since the John Doe was brought in?” 

“Don’t yell,” Misty said petulantly.

“Can you answer the question!” Steve asked.

“For you, yes.” Misty got up with a dramatic flourish and showed Steve a ledger. She wet her finger coquettishly, and opened the book, turning it so Steve could read it. “Here are all the names of the people who visited here. We make them sign in, Stevie.”

“Stevie?” Danny grimaced.

“It’s Steve, Misty, ok?” Steve perused the names from as far back as two weeks ago. “Who’s Mike Kalaeo? He’s signed every day.”

“The Mayor, angel.” Misty ran a finger down Steve’s bicep and Danny swallowed hard in an effort not to rip her artificial nails off! He might be mad at Steve but nobody touched his man like that!

“And Leonard Purvis?” Steve continued, pushing her hand away.

“Oh you mean Leonard Pervert?” She giggled. “Chief of police.”

“Doug Majors?” Steve continued looking at the names. 

“Po po too.” Misty sighed and caressed Steve’s cheek. He pulled away.

“Ok Danny, let’s go talk to Purvis and Majors,” Steve said. 

“If you’re not too busy. I mean, you can stay here and I’m sure Misty would give you a massage.” Danny walked towards the stairs not waiting to see the expression on Steve’s face. 

Two hours and a lot of questions later, Steve and Danny were no closer to solving the mystery than they were before. Purvis and Majors were of no help, having been out of the building mostly during the days and absent at night since Seaburn did not have a nighttime police presence. They really couldn’t give them much information on the corpse other than the ME had told them the cause of death. It was truly frustrating, and by the time they came down the stairs, Steve was rubbing his temples working through a headache while Danny was sullen and silent. The only good thing was Misty wasn’t there at the desk when they’d returned so she presumably had a hair appointment or a waxing engagement or perhaps she went to lunch. 

“How about if we catch a sandwich somewhere?” Steve asked. He so wanted to bury the hatchet with Danny, but he could tell that Danny was still miffed. He sighed. He didn’t know how to fix this and he was tired of trying. 

“Yeah whatever,” Danny shrugged.

“You know, maybe it’s best we investigate this separately. You’re pissed and ... I’m just...” Steve struggled for words. He just wanted to take Danny in his arms and hug him and kiss him, but Danny had that bristly don’t touch demeanor about him, so Steve just stood his ground at the top of the steps leading outside.

“Yeah sure. I’ll walk down this way,” Danny indicated to the left of the street. 

“Ok I’ll take the Jeep and ask around at the center of town. Meet back here in what, an hour?” Steve watched as Danny trotted down the steps and walked along the sidewalk. 

“Yep.”

Steve watched his mate’s retreating figure and jogged over to the Jeep. He got in and punched the steering wheel. Damn Danny anyways!!! Why did he have to act like that? A nasty little thought crept into Steve’s head that this was exactly why Danny and Rachel had gotten divorced. Was it really because of Rachel choosing money over Danny? Or had Danny just worn her down? Well, this was just fucking great, Steve thought. Yeah, some honeymoon.

Danny walked briskly towards the tourist center of town. He wasn’t sure what he was going to look for or see, but he was grateful to get away from Steve. That woman had thrown herself all over him and Steve had played into it! Danny realized he was being jealous but he couldn’t help it! Steve was so good looking and so ... overtly sexy with his tats and his muscles and his long giraffe legs...and then there was Danny himself. Too fucking short to even get out of the Jeep. And did Danny regret getting mad at Steve? Over nothing? Well, yeah, but he couldn’t fix it now could he? He feared Steve was going to get sick of his needy anxieties and he’d probably end up twice divorced. God. What a fucked up mess!

“Pssssst!” Danny stopped. The sound had come from between two buildings, in an alley.  
“Pssst in here!” Danny walked back and ducked into the alley where he saw a tall young man who looked vaguely familiar. The young man was looking around like he thought he was in a spy movie and he sidled close to Danny.

“Who are you?”

“I’m Randy Kalaeo...”

“Like the Mayor?” Danny asked.

“Well yes technically uh huh I’m his uh son. His youngest.”

“So what’s up?” Danny said. He was anxious to know what Randy knew, if anything.

“They don’t know that I heard them....” he looked both ways, then lowered his voice so Danny had to lean in to hear him. “Heard them talking about killing that man!”

“Who?”

“My father....and the Doc, Doc Reuben. They killed your John Doe then hid the body! They don’t know I know! I was going to tell you earlier but uh I didn’t think just blurting it out there in public was the way to go!”

Danny just stared for a moment putting two and two together then reached for his phone to call Steve. So Randy was Misty or maybe it was the other way around, but this might be what they needed to crack the case. 

“Oh those don’t work.” Randy pointed at Danny’s Mobile. “We have one cell tower. It’s so annoying! But if you come back to the Morgue I can let you use a land line to call your partner. The Doc is at lunch!”

“Yeah ok. Let’s go.” And with that Danny and Randy were running back to the big brick building Danny finally happy he had caught a break.

Steve slid into a booth at the Bait And Tackle Shop and waited while the owner, Hiro Jung, took the opposite seat. Steve’s questions had pointed him here. The people at Pizza Hut had told Steve that the John Doe who ended up at the summit of a hiking trail just might be the same mainlander who’d eaten every dinner there at Pizza Hut for a week until he’d abruptly never come back. He had paid cash for everything though he told one girl, his favorite waitress, that his first name was Leonard. The waitress had gifted Steve with the info that Leonard had rented a boat from the Bait and Tackle Shop to go fishing. So here was Steve, waiting to ask some questions.

“Do you know him?” Steve held up his phone with a facial photo of the John Doe that Steve had taken from the crime photograph. Jung looked at it.

“Yeah I know him. He rented a boat, a 27 foot outboard. Saw him every day for a while. Then poof he was gone.”

“I want to see his rental transaction receipt, “ Steve said, pointedly.

“Oh man you can’t. He never wanted me to make one out. Paid me not to as a matter of fact.” Jung fidgeted uncomfortably. Then he went on. “He gave me good money not to register him. Said it was because his wife was looking for him....”

“Was he ever with anyone? Any one guy you can remember?” Steve pressed.

The proprietor shook his head. “No...”Jung looked up suddenly as if struck by an idea. “Oh wait there was this one time yeah the last time I saw him he was with a woman. Tall and pretty. A blonde!”

“Did you talk to her? Or him that day,” Steve asked.

“No, just saw them cruise out together.” Jung shrugged.

“Did you see them come back that night? The last night you saw him? And when was that?” Steve leaned forward hoping to get some more information out of the shopkeeper.

“No, I usually close around 6. He wasn’t back then but sometimes he stayed out if the fishing was good. When I came the next morning, on the 14th it was, the boat was back and all tied up. I never saw him after that.”

“Can you show me the boat?” Steve countered.

“It’s in the boat house getting repaired. We have a really good place that fixes the boats.” Jung wiped his brow and looked around. “Look, if anyone sees me talking to a cop, there’s gonna be lots of questions.”

“And if anyone sees you getting hauled off to jail due to obstruction of justice or tampering with evidence, there will probably be more trouble.” Steve tried his cell to call Danny to tell him what he’d found out but dammit he couldn’t make the call. There wasn’t a signal.

“Uh huh Mister Cop you’ll have to use a Sat Phone,” Jung said. “We got one tower. Go figure.”

“Annoying,” Steve muttered. 

“I’ll be right back, man. Going to get it. Don’t go away.” Jung got up and began to walk back to his office, but broke out into a run and went out the door. 

“Shit!” Steve jumped up and ran after him, knowing full well there was something not right about their conversation. Jung ran down the pier, but he was no match for McGarrett Long Legs, so before Jung could get too far, Steve had tackled him and was cuffing.

“You in for trouble, Haole. You’d best cut bait and run.”

“Shut up Jung.” Steve nodded more to himself than for anything. 

“You really don’t know what you’re getting into,” Jung laughed which made Steve disgusted.   
“Where’s the SAT phone?” Steve pulled Jung up by the cuffed wrists. 

“In my office,” Jung grunted. Steve pushed the smaller man in front of himself and they walked back to the shop, attracting attention from the locals and tourists alike.

“I’m also gonna take a look at your boating slips in your receipt book.” Steve pushed the perp down into a chair behind the desk, and pulled out the book marked 2020 Receipts: Boat Rentals. “Let’s take a look.”

“Hey the SAT phone is behind you, man.”

“Yep I’m getting there.” Steve perused the names and dates then actually saw a receipt for a boat rental written to a ‘Leonard Phillips.’ Steve ripped the page out and shoved it in Jung’s face. “What’s this, huh? A receipt. For a boat rental.” Jung just shrugged. Steve grabbed the SAT and called HQ. Jerry answered on the first ring and Steve was happy to hear his voice.  
“Jerry! I need you to look up a man named Leonard Phillips.”

“Steve? Aren’t you supposed to be on your Honeymoon?” Jerry asked, a note of dismay in his voice.

“Well, technically yes, but I need this name run.” Steve bounced on the soles of his feet.

“Leonard Phillips Leonard Phillips Leonard....” Jerry mumbled. Steve could just picture him standing in front of the tech board, fingers flying.

“Whatcha got?” Steve asked.

“Well, there are three that come up. One is 97 years old and lives in Waunatee Iowa-“

“Ok obviously not,” Steve said.

“There’s a Leonard Phillips who plays Triple A Ball for the Erie Seawolves-“

“No not him,” Steve said.

“Then there’s a Leonard Phillips of Maui. Aged 47, an investment broker, married with no kids.”

“That’s our guy,” Steve felt like shouting. “Is there a photo you can send me oh on uh...” Steve looked at the computer on the desk. “Hang on.”

Steve put the phone down and pulled Jung up from the chair. “What’s your email account?”

“Personal or business?” Jung asked.

“Either will do.”

“HungJung @yahoo.com,” the shop owner said. Steve cringed. “Hey I’m a single man looking for love.”

“Really?” Steve picked up the phone again. “Jerry send the photo and whatever other info you have to, and I shudder to even repeat this, HungJung@Yahoo.com.”

“HungJung...oh that’s not good.” Jerry muttered.

“Tell me about it.” Steve pushed the perp down into the chair after Jung had called up his email. Within a few seconds Jerry had sent the attachment. Steve opened it and stared at a photo of their John Doe. Now he had a name and an address. He just needed to find the body!

“Detective Williams or can I call you Danny...?”

Danny followed Randy/Misty into the basement and waited while the young man opened the door. “It’s Detective Williams, and I see you have your own key. That must come in handy huh?” Danny sidled into the morgue realizing how quiet it was. “The phone? So I can call Steve?” Danny said impatiently.

“Oh yes. Right over here!” Randy moved behind Danny so suddenly that the small man was surprised and thus Randy had the upper hand. Randy put Danny in a choke hold, cutting off his air until Danny passed out, his last coherent thought being he should have made up with Steve. Once Danny was unconscious, Randy picked up the detective and placed his body on a tray then rolled it inside the cooler and slammed and locked the metal door. Once that was done, Randy walked briskly over to the bench and pulled out a duffel bag, changing from Randy to Misty. 

“Geezus, Danny, pick up!” Steve threw the SAT phone on the table and ran a hand through his hair. He looked at Jung, who was falling asleep in the chair. Steve kicked the rungs and Jung woke up, almost falling out of his seat.

“Tell me where the boat repair shop is,” Steve said.

“If I tell you, you gonna let me go?” Jung said hopefully.

“I ought to arrest you on dumb email names...” Steve arched an eyebrow. “You weren’t exactly forthcoming about Phillips.”

“Hey man I want no trouble. When people give me cash not to talk I ain’t talking!”

“We’ll see. Right now I just want to get hold of my partner.” Steve rang Danny’s number again but no result. “Dammit Danny pick up your goddam phone!” 

“That’s the trouble with partners,” Jung said but Steve pointed his finger at him. “Shut up you!” Steve tried Danny’s phone again and then gave up and called H50. Jerry once again answered and Steve’s words were rapid fire.

“Jerry, I need you to track Danny’s cell phone.”

“On it, Boss.” There was a pause and then Jerry was back on the phone. “229 Main Street. Looks like multiple businesses.”

“That’s the police station and morgue.” Steve sighed. “Ok thanks Jerry.” He looked at the SAT phone then at Jung. “Show me where the boat livery is. And I swear to God if you try to run I will put a bullet in your back!”

“Hey man, I get it!” Jung raised his manacled hands up.

Steve unlocked the cuffs, then shoved the phone into his back pocket where it bulged obscenely. “Get going.” Steve gave Jung a push and followed him out the door of the Bait Shop.

Although the day was cool, it was humid and Steve was working up a sweat as they walked down towards the south end of the pier. A big white paneled building sat on the very edge of the pier, the rest of the length sprawling towards a dirt hill with a one lane asphalt road leading down to the entrance. Steve pointed.

“That it?” He squinted at the building.

“Yeah man that’s where the magic happens.” Jung snickered but Steve reached for one of his shoulders and squeezed hard.

“I’m in no mood for jokes.” Steve fished out the phone from his pocket and redialed Danny’s number. It just rang without going to voicemail. “Son of a bitch.” Steve stopped as they approached the boat livery. There weren’t any cars save for one parked in the lot. “Slow day?” Steve asked pointedly.

“Comes and goes.”

“Let’s just see for ourselves,” Steve shoved Jung again and was surprised to see that the one car was the police cruiser that he’d parked next to earlier. “Huh.” He scratched his head, the sweat trickling down his neck into his t shirt. “Come on.” Jung muttered something and Steve just pushed his shoulder again. 

“I don’t know if that’s the police, brah.” Jung was craning his neck to look at the cruiser.

“Well, BRAH, we will certainly find out.” Steve walked into the coolness of the livery, his boots making a scuffling noise. Jung walked ahead then turned around and spread his arms out to the sides.

“This is it.”

“Yeah well I hope the police are here. I’d like to touch base with—-“

Steve heard a rustle like a satiny fabric unrolling or gathering and he turned, holding his gun in front of him, Jung momentarily forgotten.

“Stevie.”

A mass of green dress and blonde hair descended on the beleaguered Commander and too late did he raise his hands to protect himself. He felt a sting on his neck and his heart seemed to stutter. Gasping, Steve slid to his knees, tried to reach for his fallen gun but he couldn’t move, couldn’t work out what happened, couldn’t ....

Danny slowly opened his eyes, groaning slightly as he did. His neck hurt like a bitch and he went to raise his arm so he could touch his throat except.. he couldn’t. The furtherest he could reach was about elbow to wrist otherwise he was hitting stainless steel. What the fuck? He tried to look around but he couldn’t really raise his head either. It was dark and he was on his back and it was cold.

Oh God oh God oh God oh God.

He thought his heart was going to beat out of his chest and he gasped for air feeling his lungs tighten. He realized in horror where he was, and for someone with claustrophobia, this was just about the worst experience ever!

He was in the morgue, in one of the trays, oh dear God he was going to suffocate. He tried to get a hand on his galloping thoughts. He was sweating copiously and felt his throat constrict.  
Danny looked down at his feet. He still had his shoes on so he scrunched down a bit until his feet were tight against the metal door. With all the strength he could muster, Danny slammed his feet, hard, against the metal barrier. 

“Heyyyyyy!” He screamed. He had no idea how long he had been out or where that bitch Randy/Misty was but he had other problems going on in here thanks very much. Again he slammed his feet hard against the door and waited. He couldn’t hear anything, but he hoped, oh he so hoped that someone would hear him and open the door. He thought briefly of Steve and how he’d been so snide that morning. His husband didn’t deserve that. Steve worshipped the ground Danny walked on and was always trying to please him. It was unfair and downright bitchy to have acted like a spoiled child. 

“Heyyyy hellllpppp!” He screamed. Oh my God I’m going to die.

Suddenly there was a noise on the other side of the door and it opened. Someone slid the tray out and Danny fell off it, gasping and retching with relief.

“What were you doing in there?” 

It was the ME. Danny looked up at the doctor and shook his head. He’d begun to cough violently so Dr. Kendricks scurried off to get a bottle of water. When he returned, Danny was sitting upright, legs straight in front of him.

“Thank you.” Danny accepted the water and then slowly, with the help of the doc, got to his feet to sway unsteadily.

“How did you ever get in there? Heard a noise. Didn’t think anyone would be knocking at the inside door!”

“Surprise.” Danny pulled his phone out noting his revolver was gone, and checked his screen. He saw an unfamiliar number in the incoming calls and held it up to the doctor who had assisted Danny over to a chair.

“What kind of phone uses this exchange?” He asked.

“That’s a SAT phone. We got one of those here.” The doctor walked over to his desk then stopped and picked up his SAT phone. It had been smashed.

“What’s going on here? Did you do this?” The doctor accused.

“Hardly, Dr. Mengele. I was assaulted and thrown in the icebox by that woman or man or whatever.” Danny began to pace. “Thanks by the way.”

“You’re welcome.” The doctor was silent then cleared his throat. “Maybe there’s something you should know.”

“Please,” Danny said, pausing, his arms spread wide. He rocked slightly forward on one foot.  
“I think Misty... Randy... killed that fellow.”

“Oh really? Because he... or she... says it was you and the Mayor.” Danny pointed around the doctor.

“That’s... ridiculous... I might have not completed the autopsy in a timely manner but I’d never murder anyone!”

“Yeah I’m beginning to get that. Got a gun?”

“The police would although I keep this for emergencies.” And the doctor brought out a rather ancient looking .22 revolver from his desk.

“This work?” Danny said, checking the spinner for ammo.

“Hell yes!”

“Well then come on. I need to find my partner.”

Steve came to slowly. His neck throbbed where he was given the injection and his vision was blurry. He raised his head and blinked several times, the world coming into focus. He realized his hands were tied with thick nautical rope, and the knots looped over and around his legs. He tried not to groan to give himself away that he was awake, but a small one escaped his lips when he saw a corpse laying on the table in front of him.

“Oh Stevie. You’re awake. Hello darling.”

Steve felt a hand on his hair as it was pulled and his head was thrown back. He looked up at a beautifully made up Misty. “Misty,” he croaked, throat dry and tongue swollen. He still felt like the room could spin out of control at any time.

“Oh Darling, yes, it’s Misty. How are you, my precious pretty boy?” She pecked his cheek leaving a mark of pink lipstick behind. 

“Where’s... where’s Jung?” Steve tried to turn his head but she had a firm grip of his hair.

“Never mind. He’s just a little rascal. Taking Leonard’s money and making sure Lenny’s wife wouldn’t find him here. Do you know Lenny had a real air about him? He was a gentleman. Him and all of that money.”

Steve was suddenly grateful that she had let go of his hair and he looked around the room. It was dark and cool and he heard boats hitting the sides of the building, moving with the waves.  
“Why’d you kill him, Misty?” Steve asked.

“Oh Stevie. Why do birds fly?” She pirouetted and dipped down on one knee, giggling softly.  
“He liked me. Spent his money on me. Wanted to sleep with me.” She stopped dancing and walked over to where the corpse was laying. “But he couldn’t accept me. Not as Randy. No, not as Randy.” She caressed the side of Phillips’ face and Steve realized he was dealing with a mentally unhinged individual.

“So you killed him?” Steve asked.

“Yes Stevie I shot him, then shaved off his fingerprints. Do you know what a mess that makes?” 

“A big one?” Steve asked.

“Oh Honey, you don’t know. I carried his ass up to that trail and dumped his dead ass body.” She laughed. “Isn’t the first one either.”

“Where’s Danny?” Steve asked keeping a wary eye on her. The drug was beginning to wear off and he surreptitiously pulled at the ropes.

“He’s in the morgue.” She laughed again and Steve’s heart almost stopped beating. Danny dead!? Did she shoot him? Stab him? Strangle him? Steve felt the tears prick his eyes but he held it together. If Danny was dead he needed to get this murderer into the authorities so she couldn’t kill any more.

“And now... Stevie...” she sat on his lap with her legs spread, feet on either side of Steve’s. “We’re gonna have some fun.”

“I’m going to arrest you for homicide,” Steve said between gritted teeth.

“Oh darling I don’t think so. Let’s see if you’re up to making me happy. Remember what happened to the last person who couldn’t.” She cast a meaningful look back at Leonard’s body and it was then that Steve moved. 

He tipped the chair up suddenly, knocking Misty off his lap and on to the floor. She grinned and tried to grab at Steve’s ankles, but he had broken the legs of the chair, and the ropes were off so that now his own legs were free except, his hands were still tied in front of him.

“You shouldn’t have done that!” Misty roared. She pounced and Steve was knocked over from her weight. She pulled him up by his tied hands and slapped him once, twice—

“Five O! Drop him and move back!!”

Danny stood about 10 feet from her brandishing a pistol. The Chief of Police and his underling were also beside him, guns drawn.

“I’ll kill him!” She snarled but before she could go for Steve again, Danny shot her in the throat, blood splattering all over the floor and Steve. She staggered and fell, her hand reaching up as if to implore the heavens for help.

Danny ran over to Steve and helped him up. Steve was shaking from the exertion and Adrenalin as well as the after effects of the drugs. “Hey hey hey, you’re ok, Babe. You’re ok.” Danny smoothed Steve’s hair back and began to cut through the ropes with a box cutter he’d found.

“Those are nautical knots,” the Doctor, who’d also come along with the rescue team said and pulled a couple of loose ends. The knots released and Steve was free.

“Thanks,” Danny said.

“Danny. Danny.” Steve nuzzled against his mate and Danny stroked Steve’s hair and shoulders.

“It’s ok. Right here. Right here, Steve.”

“I’m so sorry about this morning—“

“Shhhhhh...” Danny held a finger to Steve’s lip and shook his head. “It was just me being a shit. I don’t know what gets into my head sometimes, but Babe, I will follow you wherever you want to take me.” Danny helped Steve sit down on another chair. “And when we get back to the RV, you and I are going to lock the door and not come out for 3 days. Got it?”

“You wanna stay with me?” Steve stared at Danny with those beautiful dark blue eyes, and Danny kissed his mate on Steve’s nose. “In the RV?”

“As long as you make me coffee.”

Steve buried his head against Danny’s midsection as Danny indicated to the arriving paramedics that they should come check Steve out.

“Where’s... where’s Jung?”

“Who?” Danny asked puzzled.

As if on cue, they all heard a voice and some banging coming from behind a storeroom door.  
“Hey!! Let me out!!”

“I think we’ve found him,” Danny laughed.

Danny drove the Jeep back to the campground. The grateful Rangers and police officers told them they had full use of it while camping there. 

“Don’t.... don’t grind the gear. Find second and stay with it,” Steve muttered, head leaning against the door frame.

“Seriously? I know how to drive stick, Steven, when I can that is because sadly, my car with the stick is being driven by some Neanderthal animal with a death wish.” But there was no malice in the tone and Danny was hiding a smirk.

“Danny?”

“Yeah Steve?”

“Bite me.”

Danny laughed feeling lighter than he had in ages. They had Steve checked out at the clinic and pronounced able to go home as long as he flushed the drug out with lots of water. Danny had reminded Steve that thank God they had their own bathroom or he’d be sleeping in the bathhouse.

For his part, Danny had made an odd peace with the ME, even shaking the fellow’s hand, wishing him good intentions. Danny was grateful that he was heading home with an intact Steve, and ok, some bad memories from being locked in the morgue cabinet, but he knew Steve would easily make him forget those.

“We’re home.” 

Danny jumped out as Steve struggled with the door then the tall man simply slid over on the driver’s side to get out that door. Danny helped him even though Steve was waving him off but Danny threw an arm around Steve’s waist and they made it up the steps and into the RV, Steve leaning on his mate.

“How about a simple dinner tonight? I can throw this pasta and veggies in with a sauce I’ll make? And we can have some good wine. And dessert of course.” Danny stood in front of the fridge and rearranged some items.

“Yeah sure.” came the sleepy reply.

Danny looked up and saw that Steve was half laying on the couch, legs sprawled at an angle, feet on the floor, body angled with his head on the cushions. He began to snuffle softly and Danny threw a blanket over him, giving Steve’s head a pat as he walked away. He thanked God again that Steve was not hurt or killed, and then remembered how surly he had reacted to his husband that morning. Never again, he thought. Fucking Hallmark cards with the verse of ‘you never know how much time you have’ and wasn’t that the truth?

Dinner was ready in less than ten minutes and Steve, though grumpy at first, woke up and became happier after he’d eaten. The good red wine had helped, and Danny was delighted that Steve not only wanted dessert, but that they fed each other cakes and bits of sweet breads until their stomachs groaned.

“A shower then bed, Babe?” Danny asked as Steve yawned and scratched his tummy. His twe shirt had ridden up and Danny caught a glimpse of those rock hard abs. And wasn’t that a nice treat? “You go shower and I’ll do dishes?” Danny asked.

“Yeah! Maybe we’ll catch something on tv? What do you say?” Steve shuffled down the hall and Danny hung up the dish towels when he was finished, put the wet load of laundry into the dryer, and then shut off the lights save for a nightlight over the kitchen counter. Steve was back into three minute shower SEAL mode and was done by the time Danny got out his sleep pants and tee.

“Your turn,” Steve said, half wet and toweling off, shaking the water on Danny.

“Hey! Your Army tactics leave a lot to be desired!!”Danny squealed.

“Navy, Danny, Navy,” and Steve caught Danny around the waist and gave him a squeeze, his wet body making the smaller man wet too. 

“Cretin!” Danny giggled then pushed Steve away and ducked into the bathroom for his ablutions.

They lay together neither saying much save for soft declarations of love. Danny stroked Steve’s hair with gentle fingers as he flipped through the channels of the bedroom tv. Steve was laying between Danny’s legs, back against Danny’s chest. They were content.

“Hey AMC usually has good films,” Danny said.

Steve grunted and wiggled back tightly against the blonde. The TV announcer, the dude with the curling hair and the superior attitude came on to highlight the next selection.

“Coming up next... a classic from 1971. Clint Eastwood and Jessica Walter star in the thriller/drama ‘Play Misty For Me’—-“

Both men reached for the remote at the same time and shut off the tv.


End file.
